Wigan Athletic’s League One form heading into the November international break is far from satisfactory, as the Latics have not won in the third tier since a 3-0 victory over Peterborough United on 1st October.
The Latics’ big win over the Posh last month arrived as part of an impressive run in which Shaun Maloney’s men enjoyed seven consecutive clean sheets in all competitions, with six of those shut-outs coming in League One.
But since then, the Greater Manchester side have won just one of their last five games, which came in the form of a 2-0 triumph over League Two Carlisle United in the FA Cup first round, and even then Maloney’s side did require extra time to get the job done at Brunton Park against inferior opposition.
The majority of the Latics squad will look to utilise the international break as an opportunity to put in the hard yards on the training ground in an effort to address their poor league form.
Meanwhile, the likes of Dale Taylor and Thelo Aasgaard, who represent the Northern Ireland Under-21s, and Norway Under-21s respectively, will be in action for their nations over the course of the next week.
Latics goalkeeper Sam Tickle has also become used to international call-ups since keeping a clean sheet on debut for the England Under-21s last season, but did not receive a call-up this time around.
Tickle’s England Under-21 snub will ease Latics transfer pressure amid Manchester United and Arsenal interest
While the talented shot-stopper has not received an international call-up for November, there is no doubting his impressive ability between the sticks.
He was instrumental towards the Latics’ previously mentioned run of six consecutive clean sheets in League One earlier this term, and produced a stunning save to keep his side in the lead during their recent FA Cup win at Carlisle.
Following Tickle’s exploits at Brunton Park, Maloney said: “Sam has made two unbelievable saves at the end, and he’s just an unbelievable talent.
“And I still don’t think people realise how good this guy is.
“If there is a shot to be saved and my job depends on it, or my life depends on it, there isn’t another English goalkeeper in all four leagues I’d choose over him.”
But contrary to Maloney’s comments when heaping heavy praise on his goalkeeper, Premier League giants Manchester United and Arsenal are seemingly very aware of the 22-year-old’s abilities between the sticks, as they are both tracking his progress, according to TeamTalk.
However, Tickle’s recent omission from the England Under-21 squad will mean that the youngster will not have another chance to display his ability on the international stage ahead of the January transfer window, which could be enough to stave off interest for now.
There is no doubt that the Latics will have to eventually sell their academy graduate due to the increasingly high profile interest in his services, but the fact that he is not in the Young Lions team this month could give the Greater Manchester club the transfer respite they need.
Amid a potential relegation battle, the Tics simply have to retain their star man come January, as he has kept an impressive total of seven clean sheets in 14 League One outings.
After the Young Lions chose to leave Tickle out of their squad on this occasion, the Latics boss told Wigan Today: “I was really surprised, I have to say.
“I’ve been on the other side, when you’re involved with an international team, and you have to make decisions that will leave some club managers happy and some unhappy.
“Honestly, I don’t know the reasons, I’ve had absolutely no feedback from the manager or goalkeeping coach.
“But this game is about opinions, and my opinion, and I’m sure time will back me up, is that this guy is going to be a top, top goalkeeper.
“It’s a privilege to have him at this club.”
But while Maloney is surprised by England’s decision not to include Tickle in their Under-21 squad this time around, it could be a blessing in disguise for the Tics, who could do without being forced into a sale this January.
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Eugenie Bouchard has embraced a fresh chapter in her athletic career—and it’s not on the tennis court! The Canadian star has stepped into the pickleball world, and from the looks of it, she’s found her groove in this fast-paced, smaller-court sport. After years of highs, lows, and plenty of back-and-forth with tennis, Bouchard now seems to be gaining the spotlight in her latest endeavor.
The Canadian player began playing pickleball after failing to qualify for the US Open last year. Gradually, she started competing at a professional level joining many players who try to amalgamate their tennis skills on pickleball courts. Now, Bouchard seems to be making some great progress on the pickleball courts as well.
Taking to Instagram, the former WTA World No.5 shared a video of herself playing pickleball. She can be seen playing against Lara Giltinan and leading against her opponent fashionably in the Pickleball World Championship Series in Texas. But what caught the attention of the fans is the remarkable Around the Post—or ATP shot that the star player is playing on the courts. The tactic requires the opponent to hit the ball at an angle where they can take off the court and strike the pickleball outside the net post. This shot was in fact acknowledged by ESPN and earned a place in the Top 10 on SportsCenter.
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Sharing footage of the same, Bouchard expressed her delight. Captioning the post, she wrote, “SC Top 10 😮💨🤣. ” Interestingly, Bouchard not just emerged victorious in this match, but also won her next match, 11-6, 11-2, and is into the round of 16 at the sport’s premier event. This, however, is not the first time when Bouchard has gained headlines for Pickleball and has often expressed what appealed to her to try the sport.
Speaking in an interaction with Tennis.com, earlier this year, Bouchard said, “I was like, you know, ‘I’d love to challenge myself to try something new. And also to be a part of something that is so trending and growing so much, that was really appealing to me. It was also something I could do while still playing some tennis tournaments. So that’s why I was like, ‘Yeah, sign me up.” And it is probably for this interest for Pickleball, that Bouchard is now gearing up to participate with tennis veterans for a unique event.
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Eugenie Bouchard thrilled to participate alongside Andre Agassi in the Pickleball event
Eugenie Bouchard has played only 4 matches on tennis courts this year with her ranking dropping down to 997. But despite her attention on Pickleball, her association with the tennis community has not faded away and the star player is now gearing up to participate in a Pickleball event, alongside Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Steffi Graf.
A video shared by the official Instagram handle of The Pickleball Slam in September featured Agassi as he announced the 3rd edition of the tournament, scheduled in February 2025. Speaking about the latest edition, Agassi said, “This time I will be pairing up with my Pickleball Slam win partner Andy Roddick who will be pairing up with Genie Bouchard. But I have the last laugh as I am pairing up with my legendary wife Steffi Graf!” Soon after the video was out on social media, Bouchard was quick to comment expressing her excitement.
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“This is gonna be epic! @thepickleballslam in Vegas Feb 16! Me &Andy Roddick Vs @agassi & Steffi Graf 🤩,” the 30-year-old wrote. For now, it would be interesting to see if Bouchard garners more accolades on the Pickleball courts and whether she outshines Agassi and Graf in February, next year.
ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF Knights linebacker Ethan Barr looks to the sideline during a game against the … [+] Colorado Buffaloes on September 28, 2024 at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, FL. (Photo by Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Academic success, leadership and performance on the football field comprise the core qualities of the Campbell Trophy. Ethan Barr will not win the prestigious award, now in its 35th year. However, the UCF linebacker was a two-time semifinalist, which is no small feat. Only 11 of the 204 semifinalists across all levels of NCAA-affiliated football and the NAIA made the cut the last two years. It is an acknowledgement for which Barr is grateful.
“You put in a lot of work and a lot of time with school and football, so to have that recognition on the national stage means a lot,” said the Flower Mound, Texas native, who was UCF’s second Campbell semifinalist (long snapper Alex Ward) in three years. “It goes to show that the work you put in does not go unnoticed. If you do all the right things consistently over time, good things are going to happen for you. That’s what I have been trying to do since I was a little kid.”
Barr, who arrived in Orlando with his wife, Delanie, in January following four fulfilling years at Vanderbilt and a pitstop in Washington, has also been on the Wuerffel Trophy (service to others) watch list thanks in part to his work with the Boys & Girls Club in Nashville. Academic achievement has been honored by College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA), which named him to the all-district team in 2023-24.
“My parents encouraged me to try to excel at everything I did,” he said of Beth and Ryan. “Getting As and Bs in school was really important to my parents. That has kind of carried me through my whole academic career, right up to this point.”
Barr is pursuing a master’s in educational leadership at UCF. He received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt in human organizational development, an educational experience he found rewarding and potentially quite useful depending on what career doors he might bust through after hanging up his helmet.
“It focused on developing people as leaders, being able to analyze organizations, find ways to help them grow,” he said. “I was truly intrigued by what that degree had to offer.”
Gridiron growth
Former Texas A&M All-American and NFL defensive back Ray Mickens was instrumental in seeing to it Barr got the most out of the game and grew as a young man in the process. He was six years old when Mickens first coached him in flag football, the start of a relationship that continued through various levels of youth football.
“He definitely had a big role in helping me develop as a player and as a person,” said Barr, who keeps in touch with Mickens’ son, R.J., a defensive back at Clemson and who went to high school about 20 miles from where Barr attended. “As I went through elementary school and middle school, he was someone who really helped me along.”
His older brother has been a pillar to lean on, and not just because Creighton was a 6-foot-3 and 300-pound offensive lineman at North Texas from 2015 to 2017.
“I always looked up to him and he has always been there,” said Barr, who also has three sisters: Abbie, Emma and Olivia. “He is someone that I always go to for advice and follow in his footsteps.”
The footsteps led to getting into the lawn service business in high school and, well, football.
“Even today, he texts me and wishes me good luck before games,” said little brother. “He is someone I can talk to. He will give it to me straight and tell me the truth about something I ask him about. I really appreciate him for that. We have a really close bond.”
A two-time captain with the Commodores (45 games, 219 tackles) and a captain at UCF, the 6-foot-3 and 245-pound Barr is a coming off a game against visiting Arizona – the team’s annual Space Game — in which he recorded a season high 10 tackles and recovered a fumble that led to the Knights’ second touchdown in what would be a 56-12 win to snap a five-game skid. He heads into this week’s game at Arizona State with a team-leading 47 tackles for the 4-5 Knights.
“We struggled for a couple of weeks, but we have a really good team and I enjoy being around the guys,” said Barr. “I think we can finish strong.”
Ethan Barr received his undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt before beginning a new chapter in life at … [+] UCF.
Courtesy UCF Athletics
Enjoying UCF
Barr did not directly come to UCF from Vanderbilt. He entered the portal following the completion of the 2023 season and heard from Knights’ coach Gus Malzahn, but committed to Kalen DeBoer’s Washington Huskies for his final year of college football. There was one problem: DeBoer left for Alabama shortly thereafter.
“With the whole coaching staff turning over, I didn’t necessarily know what was going to come of being at Washington,” said Barr. “I got back into the portal to survey my options and what was possible.”
With his time in Seattle proving to be nothing more than a two-week trip west, Barr was on the move again and made the nearly 3,100-mile trip to Orlando.
“Coach Malzahn and UCF reached back out and I felt inclined to come here,” he said. “I (accepted the offer) and we moved to Orlando.”
Barr is scheduled to complete his master’s in the spring. Educational leadership is an area of study that could lead him to one of many fields, even the gridiron.
“I like to be in leadership roles and be an advocate for change and things of that nature,” he said. “That’s why I chose this pathway. I think I have the ability to positively affect people, potentially young people. Perhaps I get into coaching. Maybe I do something in an administrative role within a school system or be a teacher.”
For now, life is good in the Sunshine State. When he is not wrapping himself up in football and academics, Barr is with Delanie playing with their dog, cooking on the grill and watching movies. A fishing rod may not be too far away. The couple wed in July, cementing a relationship that dates to middle school. It is a relationship that continued to grow even while Barr was at Vandy and with Delanie remaining in the Lone Star State to attend Baylor, and then Stephen F. Austin.
“We did the long-distance thing for four years,” he said. “She moved with me to Seattle and then to Orlando.”
And what a time it has been.
“I felt the love from this university and the coaches,” he said. “I really wanted to be a part of it. I really enjoy being at UCF. It’s a really good place with a lot of good people.”
Mike Williamson hasn’t lit the house on fire since coming to Carlisle United, but a recent kind gesture after Charlie Wyke’s horror injury certainly helped to curry favour with the club’s supporters.
The pre-season expectations for the Blues have been all but thrown out the window. With Paul Simpson at the helm – a manager that has won promotion from League Two more times than he hasn’t – and a seemingly strong summer window, all the noise coming from Brunton Park was about getting back to the English third tier as quickly as possible.
Even after Simpson’s sacking four games into the season, chairman Tom Piatak still said that promotion was what Carlisle were aiming for. Now, though, being second bottom of the league after 14 games, eight of which Mike Williamson has been in charge of, the attitude towards finishing in the top spots has changed.
One of the reasons why there was so much hope for the season to come was because of the acquisition of players like Wyke. The striker’s record at the level above was a strong one, and his pre-existing relationship with the club made it feel like the perfect fit.
Unfortunately, against Cheltenham Town, when he suffered a catastrophic injury, he felt like the signs were pointing towards something else.
Charlie Wyke’s horror injury
Shortly after coming on against Michael Flynn’s side, Wyke was challenged from behind by Luke Young. The tackle, while not malicious, fractured his left fibula and ruptured: “all the ligaments and tendons,” as he put it to Wigan Today.
Nearly three years on from a cardiac arrest while playing for Wigan Athletic that came close to ending his life, Wyke is now facing another major setback. He has had surgery on his ankle, but it is a long road back for someone that has had too much of their career taken from them already.
He has had a tremendous amount of support in the aftermath of the injury, but the actions of his current boss really rang true with the Carlisle faithful.
Mike Williamson’s kind action after Charlie Wyke injury
The forward revealed to Wigan Today that, after the Cheltenham game had finished, United’s head coach came and sat with Wyke for hours.
“I know I need to stay positive, and I’ve had some good conversations with the gaffer (Mike Williamson)…to be fair, he came with me to the hospital, and he sat with me for eight hours, which was unbelievable of him.”
Williamson hasn’t hit it off right away at Brunton Park. Whether it’s his more relaxed, understated demeanour, or his tactics, or the fact that he’s following on from a legend of the club, there just hasn’t been that connection between him and many supporters.
At the start of that Cheltenham game, the Carlisle section of the crowd was so anxious and ready to jump on his and the players’ backs from minute one. They certainly gave the crowd reasons to not be happy, but it wasn’t a pleasant atmosphere at all.
Some supporters were calling for him to be sacked after the game, but, when Wyke’s quotes came out, even those who didn’t agree with him still keeping his job held their hands up and said ‘You know what, that was a lovely, honourable thing to do.’
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The next game, against Wigan in the FA Cup – a game that Wyke had been so looking forward to before his injury – the crowd were much more supportive of Williamson and his players.
Now, was the head coach’s kindness towards his number 10 the main reason for the positive reaction that Carlisle got from the home supporters? Not entirely. The pressure was off them because of the higher calibre of opposition that they were playing against, plus the early sending off of Ethan Robson really got those in attendance riled up.
Even if the improved mood in Brunton Park against the Latics had nothing at all to do with Williamson’s lengthy support of Wyke in his time of need, what he did showed the quality of the person in charge at Brunton Park, and it seems to have warmed him up to some that weren’t so sure about him.
This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Charlton Athletic have enjoyed a mixed start to the 24/25 League One campaign, with the Addicks currently slap bang in the middle of the third tier table.
Nathan Jones’ side lost just one league game throughout October, but three draws out of five saw them lose even more ground on the leading pack, off the back of three successive defeats in September.
A 1-0 victory over Birmingham City has proven they have what it takes to rise to the occasion when it is needed, with the ample quality within the squad rising to the fore when required, and highlighting the talents that Jones has at his disposal.
With that in mind, we spoke to Football League World’s Charlton fan pundit Ben Fleming about his thoughts on the upcoming January transfer window, and just what he would be asking of his club’s board when 2025 gets underway.
Charlton Athletic told to keep hold of top talent to maintain solid start to League One campaign
Athletic boast a squad perfectly capable of challenging further up the League One table as the season progresses, with the London side boasting quality all over the pitch.
With the additions of Matt Godden and Gassan Ahadme joining academy graduates Miles Leaburn and Tyreece Campbell up top over the summer, there is plenty of firepower at the club, with the young stars proving themselves as top EFL talents for the future.
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Kayne Ramsay is another summer arrival who has proven his worth since making the move to the capital from Harrogate Town in the summer, with the defender thriving under Jones’ stewardship, with Charlton having one of the best defensive records in the division.
With slight tweaks needed at either end of the pitch to turn draws into victories, Fleming admits he is very happy with the situation the club finds itself in of late, and was keen to keep the current squad intact through January rather than showing a thirst for new arrivals.
When asked of his January demands, the Charlton fan said: “To be honest, I think the business over the summer was good, I think there is a balanced squad in there, and I don’t think there is necessarily a need to add to it too much.
“We could maybe look at sending some of the guys out on loan who aren’t getting as much game time, and maybe look at bringing players in on loan to plug a few injury-related gaps.
Charlton Athletic League One record since August 1st 2023 (TWTD)
Matches
59
Wins
16
Draws
24
Defeats
19
Win %
27.1%
Points per game
1.22
“But mainly I would say we need to try to hold on to our key assets; guys like Kayne Ramsay, Miles Leaburn, someone like Tyreece Campbell could be gathering transfer attention, as well as Thierry Small.
“We have just got to try and keep the squad together, and if the opportunity arises to bring in a player that will add to the quality we can do, but I think we have got a fairly sensible squad.
“Sometimes less is more, and this could be one of the windows where that is the case.”
Drawing games is costing Charlton Athletic once again
Finishing the 90 minutes with the points shared is something that Charlton fans must have become used to over the past 15 months, with no other side coming close to their record of recording draws since the start of the 23/24 League One campaign.
While the Addicks seem capable of pushing towards the top of the table, a lack of ability to put games to bed has seen them end up with 24 draws since August 2023, with plenty of points being dropped as a result.
Of the 20 clubs who have been in the division for the same amount of time, Barnsley and Lincoln City are the pair that come the closest to that record, with 17 spoils being shared when either of those two sides have been on the pitch.
While there is no question that Athletic have the quality to push towards the top of the table, it is a familiar story in terms of dropping points so far this season, as their recent results show.
But with more time to mould the team to his liking, Jones could finally find a consistent winning formula if he manages to keep his side intact for the second-half of the campaign, and live up to their early-season billing as contenders for promotion.
Out-of-favour Wigan Athletic striker Josh Stones is reportedly set to be allowed to leave the club on loan amid interest from two National League clubs.
That’s according to journalist Alan Nixon, who claims that National League promotion hopefuls Oldham Athletic and York City are both plotting a move for Stones as he continues to struggle for game time at the Brick Community Stadium.
Wigan manager Shaun Maloney opted to keep Stones in Lancashire, and he was full of praise for the striker after he scored his side’s opening goal in the 2-0 win at Carlisle in the EFL Trophy last month.
“There’s still moments, I think his hold up play can be even better. But I thought his overall performance was very good.
“I was really happy with Josh today. His work-rate was outstanding.
“I’m glad he scored, and I just felt that the front three of Michael, Josh and Jonny Smith, they pressed really hard and were very aggressive. With and without the ball today, we were good.”
However, Stones’ goalscoring contribution at Brunton Park has not been enough for him to force his way into Maloney’s plans in the league, and he could now make another loan move to the National League, with Oldham and York set to battle his signature.
Despite only narrowly avoiding relegation last season, York currently sit top of the table after a remarkable start to the campaign, while Oldham are fifth and just five points behind the Minstermen in what is an incredibly competitive race for the automatic promotion spot.
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Thelo Aasgaard is thought to be on the Potters’ radar, ahead of the January window.
Oldham Athletic return could be perfect for Josh Stones
While Stones is clearly a player with potential, it seems unlikely he will receive much game time at Wigan this season, so a move away from the club would be a sensible option.
Despite the fact the Latics have scored just 12 goals in their first 13 league games this season, failing to find the back of the net on seven occasions, Stones has still not been given a chance by Maloney, suggesting he does not believe he is ready for League One.
Stones has had two loan spells away from Wigan since joining the club from Guiseley in the summer of 2022, so he could now be keen to make a permanent exit, but the Latics may be reluctant to sell him just yet.
With York looking stronger automatic promotion contenders than Oldham, the LNER Community Stadium could be an exciting destination for Stones, and he would get the chance to develop under Adam Hinshelwood, who is regarded as one of the best managers outside the EFL.
However, Stones thrived during his loan spell at Boundary Park last season before sustaining an injury, so a return to Micky Mellon’s side will no doubt be appealing for him, and it looks to be the most likely outcome at this point.
The timing and planning of Gonzaga’s new basketball facility more than two decades ago was spot-on, mirroring so many of the key aspects that launched the program’s ascension to national prominence.
It took bold thinking to make it happen. Mark Few, early in his head coaching tenure, accompanied then-school president Robert Spitzer to Salt Lake City to request donations from brothers Phil and Tom McCarthey for GU’s athletic endowment.
Except Few drew up a new play and asked Rev. Spitzer to broach the idea of a new basketball arena when they huddled before a meeting with the McCartheys.
“ Mark laid it on the line: An investment in a new Kennel is going to help us with our recruiting, with our marketing and on down the line – all these things instinctively one would know,” Spitzer told The Spokesman-Review’s John Blanchette in 2009. “I knew right away for Mark that this was going to be essential for him as a coach.
“So I changed my pitch right away – I’ve told the McCartheys this story – and it became all about the arena. We didn’t have a design, we didn’t have an amount, we didn’t have anything, but we were pitching the arena.”
That meeting was one of many that led to the McCarthey Athletic Center, which opened 20 years ago in October 2004.
Gonzaga’s men have lost just 18 times and boast a 94% winning percentage on their home court, so there’s plenty of candidates for the top 20 McCarthey moments.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs in their first action at McCarthey Athletic Center, an exhibition game against Emporia State on Nov. 5, 2004. (The Spokesman-Review Photo Archive)
Timely
On-court highlights occupy most of this list, but, as mentioned earlier, the McCarthey Athletic Center came to be at just the right time.
Building materials were largely budget-friendly when the facility was being built.
“Garco (Construction) did a fantastic job and was willing to make an honest profit and we had great subcontractors,” Gonzaga athletic director Chris Standiford said. “At the time, the prices for (building materials) were really suppressed and then they came back to normal (after construction). Especially steel, it was really low.”
Size mattered
It’s a question Standiford and former AD Mike Roth probably have heard hundreds of times. Why didn’t the $25 million arena have more than 6,000 seats? The answer in a nutshell: It wouldn’t have been anywhere close to a $25 million price tag if the arena required expanding to seat even 8,000.
“Substantially more on a cost -per -seat basis,” Standiford said. “I know from the design, development phase, it was way more expensive to make the building bigger. We were really pressing to build that building and fund that building as it was.”
Turiaf thrives in new digs
Ronny Turiaf felt right at home inside the new arena. The charismatic forward scored 33 points in a win over Portland State on opening night.
He followed with 20 points against Montana before dropping 40 points in a victory over Idaho in the third game.
First ranked foe falls
No. 14 Washington, the first ranked opponent to visit the McCarthey Athletic Center, fell to the Zags 99-87 in December 2004.
Adam Morrison scored 28 points, Turiaf added 23 points and 13 rebounds and Derek Raivio made five 3-pointers while contributing 21 points.
Morrison magic
We could probably assemble a list of Morrison’s top 20 in the McCarthey. Instead, we combined several of his memorable moments for space reasons.
There was his fadeaway jumper in the final second in a 75-73 win over San Francisco in Feb. 2005. There was Morrison’s 42-point eruption against Portland in January 2006, still the McCarthey Athletic Center record.
Morrison had 23 points and earned MVP honors as Gonzaga rallied from 15 points down to edge Loyola Marymount 68-67 in the 2006 WCC Tournament title game. He celebrated by hopping on the broadcast table and hanging out in the Kennel Club after LMU’s Chris Ayer missed from close range in the closing seconds.
GameDay and more Morrison magic
When ESPN’s GameDay came to GU for the first time in February 2006, Morrison delivered 34 points, 12 in the final three minutes, in an 80-76 win over Stanford.
P-Mac’s triple, Morrison’s pass
OK, one more Morrison mention. He had 34 points in a 75-72 victory over San Francisco on Senior Night in February 2006. He had a hand in the game-winner with his lone assist leading to a Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes 3-pointer with two seconds remaining.
J.P. Batista hugs his brother Anderson during 2006 Senior Night at McCarthey Athletic Center. (Jed Conklin/The Spokesman-Review)
J.P.’s Senior Night surprise
Gonzaga center J.P. Batista, a native of Brazil, had no idea his older brother Anderson had made the long trip to surprise him on 2006 Senior Night.
The two shared an emotional embrace after Anderson walked onto the court. It had been four years since Anderson had seen his younger brother.
Gonzaga pulls rank on UW
No. 18 Gonzaga routed No. 13 Washington 97-77 on Dec. 9, 2006, in the first McCarthey Athletic Center contest between ranked teams. Raivio drained five 3-pointers and finished with 25 points.
First home defeat
Santa Clara toppled the Zags 84-73 in February 2007, ending GU’s 50-game home winning streak – the nation’s longest – that dated back to the Martin Centre.
It was an unsettling weekend for the Zags, who were without Josh Heytvelt and Theo Davis. Both were suspended after being arrested the night before the game on drug possession charges.
Zags come up short on Gray’s great day
Steven Gray tried to will the 11th-ranked Zags to victory, but No. 25 San Diego State’s Billy White and Kawhi Leonard had other ideas in a November 2010 showdown.
Gray scored 35 points, including 14 of the team’s final 15, but GU couldn’t overcome White’s career-high 30 points and Leonard’s 18 points and 12 boards. “Steven was superhuman,” Few said.
Pangos hits nine 3s vs. WSU
In his first start and second collegiate game, freshman Kevin Pangos put on a memorable shooting display in an 89-81 win over the Cougars in November 2011.
Pangos equaled Dan Dickau’s school record with nine 3-pointers and scored 33 points. He made 9 of 13 3s and handed out six assists.
Olynyk drops 31 on the Gaels
Kelly Olynyk was early in his breakout junior season when he scored 31 points in an 83-78 victory over Saint Mary’s, just days after his career high 33 points in a road win over Santa Clara in January 2013.
Olynyk and Pangos combined for GU’s last 16 points. The 7-footer made a pair of free throws with 13 seconds left after the Gaels had closed within 79-78.
BYU ends GU’s bid for perfection
It started like so many Gonzaga games in the 2017 season. The Zags methodically moved in front 18-2 on Senior Night and another blowout was seemingly in the works.
Not so fast. BYU rallied late to pull off a stunning 79-71 victory, handing GU its first loss after 29 straight wins. The Zags rebounded to win the WCC Tournament and five NCAA Tournament games before falling to North Carolina in the championship game.
Geno’s crossover
Geno Crandall introduced himself to the Kennel when he scored 28 points and nearly led North Dakota to a n upset before the Zags rallied for an 89-83 OT win in December 2017.
Crandall transferred to GU the following season and made this list with a remarkable move that bewildered BYU’s Nick Emery. He shook Emery with a behind-the-back dribble near the 3-point line, followed by a between-the-legs crossover that sent Emery stumbling in the wrong direction as Crandall finished with a layup.
Emery poked fun at himself, tweeting a video of the play with the comment: “If anyone is wondering, my ankles are okay. You win some, you lose some.”
Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura celebrates with Kennel Club members after beating Washington at the McCarthey Athletic Center on 2018. (Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review)
Rui connects on game-winner
Washington rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to pull even at 79, but Rui Hachimura countered with a 15-foot jumper with less than one second remaining for an 81-79 win in Dec. 2018.
Hachimura finished with 26 points and the Kennel Club chanted his name as he waited for a post-game interview with ESPN’s Bill Walton and Dave Pasch.
Blue bloods visit the Kennel
GU has entertained lots of power conference schools, but the anticipation meter was off the charts when two of the biggest names in the college hoops came to town.
In 2011, coach Tom Izzo and Michigan State pulled out a 74-67 victory powered by Draymond Green’s 34 points. Jud Heathcote, who led the Spartans to the 1979 national championship during a distinguished coaching career that began at West Valley High, retired in Spokane and watched from the stands.
The second-ranked Zags handled North Carolina, one of the bluest blue bloods, 94-81 in December 2019. Corey Kispert hit 5 of 6 3-pointers and scored 26 points.
The Tar Heels, playing without standout point guard Cole Anthony, suffered their fourth straight setback. “We want Wofford!” chided the Kennel Club, in reference to the team responsible for UNC’s third loss in the streak.
Timme torches Texas
The Longhorns’ visit in November 2021 was big by any measure, including AP rankings – Gonzaga was No. 1, Texas No. 5.
Drew Timme, a Texas native, conducted a post-move clinic with a 37-point effort, third in McCarthey Athletic Center history. He made 15 of 19 shots in GU’s 86-74 win.
GameDay visit, Gaels go down
In February 2023, ESPN’s GameDay returned to the Kennel for the first time in 14 years. About 12 hours after Mark Few sat down with the GameDay crew and the airing of Drew Timme’s 94 feet segment with Jay Bilas, the 12th-ranked Zags downed No. 15 Saint Mary’s 77-68, avenging a 78-70 loss in Moraga, California.
Timme had 19 points and Anton Watson added 17 as GU and SMC shared the regular-season title.
McCarthey Athletic Center’s impact
Brian Michaelson has a unique perspective on what the McCarthey Athletic Center has meant to the program. When the venue opened in 2004, he was a senior on the team. He joined Gonzaga’s staff in 2008 and he’s entering his 12th season as an assistant coach.
“The timing was absolutely perfect,” he said. “It was as early in the run as we could have done it and you needed it at that time. It has really helped take it to the next level. A bunch of us played in that old gym (Martin Centre) and it was really special, the atmosphere was special.
“But for the future, it was huge. The legitimacy of having a real arena was huge for the growth that came down the road.”
The English Football League has enhanced its reputation as a healthy conveyor belt of talent on the world stage in recent years.
From burgeoning academy hotshots to Premier League loanees, a whole host of esteemed global names have spent shares of their formative years cutting their teeth throughout the EFL pyramid.
In particular, we’ve begun to see an increasing number of players emerge from the ranks of EFL clubs; John Stones started off with Barnsley, Ollie Watkins made a name for himself at Exeter City and then with Brentford, Jarrod Bowen launched his career at Hull City, and it all began for Eberechi Eze at QPR.
All four of those EFL graduates represented England at EURO2024, providing fresh reminders of the talent that exists beneath the Premier League.
At this moment in time, though, Charlton Athletic and Birmingham City will be filled with more pride than most following Monday evening’s prestigious Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, as both Ademola Lookman and Jude Bellingham made the final 30-man list.
Charlton Athletic will be proud of Ademola Lookman following Ballon d’Or nomination
It’s somewhat easier to forget than Bellingham’s memorable one-season impact at Birmingham – but Lookman initially started off with Charlton nearly 10 years ago now.
A product of the Addicks’ academy system, Lookman elevated to the first-team frame and enjoyed a breakout season during the 2015/16 campaign by scoring five goals from 24 Championship appearances for Charlton.
They managed to keep him around in League One following relegation, but Lookman ended up leaving for Everton in January. The versatile forward never quite made the grade at Goodison Park and didn’t fare a lot better at Red Bull Leipzig, who loaned him out to both Fulham and Leicester City before cutting their losses by offloading him to Atalanta in the summer of 2022.
Over in Italy, Lookman has gone from strength-to-strength. He made more than 20 goal involvements across all competitions in each of his first two seasons with the club, and marked his crowning moment by scoring a stunning hat-trick in last term’s 3-0 UEFA Europa League victory over Bayer Leverkusen.
The former Charlton flyer has started this season in a rich vein of form, returning four goals and four assists apiece from just six Serie A matches. His talents were recognised in the game’s grandest ceremony, where he finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or rankings – scoring above the likes of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer and Antonio Rudiger.
Charlton, then, have every right to be extremely proud of the success which Lookman has somewhat-unexpectedly enjoyed in his career.
And, as the 27-year-old continues to check off more and more milestones in what’s been a stunning upwards trajectory over the last few years, Charlton will surely be hoping to strike gold with the emergence of another youngster capable of emulating Lookman.
Jude Bellingham’s Ballon d’Or ranking is the latest sign of Birmingham City success
Meanwhile, Blues may not have seen their former prodigy in attendance as Real Madrid boycotted the event after learning that Brazilian forward Vinicus Junior was to lose out on his first Ballon d’Or trophy to Manchester City’s Rodri, but they’ll nonetheless be glowing with pride.
Bellingham, who enjoyed a stunning year at club level with Los Blancos, finished third in the final rankings and had actually been predicted to win the Ballon d’Or by many. His time will come, though. Make no mistake about it.
For the meantime, his status as one of the very best players in world football at 21-years-old has been underlined even further. Birmingham will be extremely proud to see an academy graduate enjoying such storied success at the highest echelons of the game, and they also deserve credit for kick-starting his career.
Jude Bellingham’s career stats across all competitions, as per FotMob
That’s because many clubs beneath the Category One academy threshold, and particularly those within the EFL, are often susceptible to losing their finest prospects before their graduation to first-team level, but Birmingham were able to retain Bellingham and ended up getting one memorable campaign out of him.
Bellingham, of course, made the step-up to the club’s first-team fold at the tender age of 16 and became the youngest player in Blues history when he debuted against Portsmouth in the EFL Cup aged just 16 years and 38 days before going on to make 44 appearances across all competitions during the 2019/20 campaign.
The midfielder played with both confidence and composure far beyond his youthful years and was duly crowned as the EFL’s Young Player of the Season.
Bellingham, who famously saw his shirt number retired by Birmingham, soon became the most expensive 17-year-old of all time by earning a £25 million move to Borussia Dortmund that summer after reportedly snubbing advances from Manchester United.
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The rest is history as far as Bellingham’s career is concerned, with the five-star midfielder going on to play a leading role on all fronts for both club and country. It all started at Birmingham, though, and they’ll doubtless accompany Charlton in taking away real pride from Monday.
Former Miami Heat NBA basketball player Dwyane Wade thanks the crowd during his statue unveiling ceremony outside Kaseya Center, on Oct. 27, in Miami.Michael Laughlin/The Associated Press
Over the weekend, the Miami Heat unveiled a statue of Dwyane Wade outside their arena. As tends to happen in these cases, it didn’t go well.
Statues are a sign of dissipation. A team (or civilization) that was once vigorous and thriving is no longer. Time to start erecting things. Arenas mostly. But too often, statues.
Unfortunately for Wade, he was at the unveiling. Cameras were able to catch the full horror of the moment.
Wade is a handsome guy. It’s not that his likeness isn’t, exactly. It’s that the life-size representation doesn’t look human. The face is somehow wrong. It’s internet meme face.
As the statue emerged from a burst of dry ice and fire, you could see Wade struggling not to grimace. He stutter-stepped nervously around the monstrosity trying to find its good angle, but it doesn’t have one.
His judgment of what passes for the pinnacle of a sporting life: “You all look at this? You all got videos, photos? Like, that’s crazy. I can’t believe that. Who is that guy?”
Wade gestured over his shoulder at the statue as he said it. Normally, a person would turn and look at what they’re pointing out. But Wade could not bring himself to see it again.
As the recent mania for tearing them down should have taught us, statues of real people are a pickle. Not just politically, but aesthetically and geographically. In museums, fine. In parks, maybe. In public squares, no.
If you want to make a statue of a giant spider (Louise Bourgeois) or a mermaid (Edvard Eriksen) or a child ballet dancer (Edgar Degas) that’s okay because it’s art and it’s abstract. Great art is forever. Abstraction works in every context.
But once you start glorifying specific individuals in bronze you are into religion, which belongs in a house of worship and few other places.
The high-water mark of this bad idea remains a bust of Cristiano Ronaldo unveiled at, and then removed from, an airport in Portugal. It resembled the soccer star reimagined as a character from Scooby Doo.
Ronaldo’s been on a long, slow journey down from the peak of his celebrity. That statue was the part of the hike that he went ass over teakettle and descended a few thousand feet in an hour.
“It’s not my fault,” the sculptor, Emanuel Santos, told the BBC. “All the sculptors in all the parts of the world just make the first step, you know what I mean? It’s the other guys.”
‘The other guys’ – I’ve tried this excuse, too. It’s harder to pull off as a writer.
As with any good rule, there are exceptions that prove it.
The statue of falling Bobby Orr in front of the TD Garden in Boston is wonderful. I’ve spent long moments walking around it, admiring it. But it’s great because it’s not about the subject. It’s about a moment.
You don’t need to know who Bobby Orr is, or understand what’s being represented, to appreciate its mastery. The same way I don’t need to know who the Burghers of Calais are or why they look so miserable.
The skill of makers is part of the problem here. The few great sculptors left work in huge hunks of metal or move dirt around with backhoes. Anybody who’s willing to take a sporting commission is, by definition, second rate.
The firm that did Wade’s statue has a whole business transforming the profane into the sacred. It has done Luc Robitaille, Curly Lambeau and A’ja Wilson, who is 28 years old.
I guess the Little League World Series champions need to really need to start pushing those fundraising chocolate bars if they want to live forever in bronze.
The most amazing thing about Wade’s statue is that he signed off on it.
“I spent a lot of time on my statue,” Wade said.
Is he being literal? Was he, Dwyane Wade, the person holding the chisel? This mystery is deeper than some oceans.
You kind of felt for Wade. This was supposed to be the shining moment of his life – greater than any of his championships or individual prizes. Instead, it’s a daylong ‘get a load of this’ moment in the news cycle, and a lifetime of online ribbing. It’s so bad that, in certain precincts of the internet, Wade’s unruly likeness managed to push the impending U.S. civil war to the background for a few hours.
Maybe that is the point of sports statues – to remind us of the vanity of man and its pointlessness. I can imagine a future Toronto in which a visitor stumbles upon the Legends Row in front of Scotiabank Arena and thinks, ‘This city sure used to have a lot of astronauts.’
After a couple of generations have passed, all statues of people look ridiculous. Here’s guessing sports statues – which tend to show the subject in some pose of athletic domination – will surpass all the guys waving swords on horses in that regard.
You’re standing in front of a likeness of some guy you’ve probably never seen in person, often dead, being told how great he was. Meanwhile, a few hundred feet that way, the people who are currently the world’s best are doing the same thing, in person, right now.
It’s like putting a statue of unknown soldier in front of a live missile battery.
Great athletes don’t require expensive memorials. Their work – captured in words and images – is the memorial. The legends among them will live long past their years in the stories told about them by people who were there.
Then they should fade. Maybe we just haven’t been at this long enough. The mass-media era of global sport began in the 1950s. Many people still alive have seen the whole breadth of it.
But if it keeps on at its current pace, parts of the sports story should fade, along with the people who were there. Any endeavour that spends too much time and effort looking backward is in the midst of failing. And failure is always hard to see coming until you’re right up close to it, looking it in the face.
Eight teams will compete for the 2024 HBCUAC Volleyball Championship
NEW ORLEANS – October 25, 2024 – The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) reveals the eight schools that will compete for the title at the 2024 HBCUAC Volleyball Championship hosted by Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission from November 11-13 at Bossier Parish Community College.
Dillard University (La.), Fisk University (Tenn.), Oakwood University (Ala.), Philander Smith University (Ark.), Southern University at New Orleans (La.), Stillman College (Ala.), Talladega College (Ala.), and Tougaloo College (Miss.) have secured berths. The seeds will be revealed after conference play is completed on November 4.
Talladega (20-7, 13-1 HBCUAC), the defending regular season and tournament champion, is battling Fisk University – last season’s tournament runner-up – and Dillard – the 2023 regular season runner-up – for the 2024 regular season title and top seed. All three schools have one loss. Fisk avenged last season’s championship loss with a five-set victory on Sept. 21. Talladega swept Dillard on Sept. 28 in one of the HBCUAC Crossovers. Dillard swept Fisk on Oct. 18. Talladega hosts Fisk on October 25 with the winner likely clinching the first seed.
The Tornadoes have a deep roster as three players have won Attacker of the Week. Franchesca Rivas and defensive specialist Briyith Echeverri have been recognized as Player of the Week multiple times this season.
Fisk (22-14, 13-1 HBCUAC) also boasts a strong roster as they’ve won a majority of the HBCUAC Player of the Week awards. Trinity Britt has won eight of the 10 Setter of the Week awards and leads the conference in assists and assists per set and ranks eighth in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) with 939 assists. Reagan Jones claimed five Attacker of the Week awards and ranks fifth in the NAIA with 401 kills. Nialah Gupton has claimed multiple Defender of the Week awards and leads the HBCUAC with 470 digs.
Dillard (13-7, 11-1 HBCUAC) has only been taken beyond three sets twice and has only dropped five sets in 12 conference matches. Trenity Pender claimed the most recent Defender of the Week award. The Bleu Devils have one of the most intimidating front rows in the conference. Gabrielle Washington leads the HBCUAC with 1.24 blocks per set. Nya St. Cyr and Cadence Thomas follow at 0.96 and 0.93 blocks per set, ranking in the top five of the conference.
Philander Smith (16-6, 8-4 HBCUAC) in its first season under head coach Mariah Yarbrough has been formidable, winning eight conference matches. All of their losses have been to the top three teams in the conference. Christlove Lature and Essence Wren won Defender and Setter of the Week for September 30-October 6. Lature ranks second in the conference with 4.33 digs per set and third with 325 total digs. Wren ranks second in the conference with 515 assists averaging 8.05 per set. Zarea Winn ranks third with 3.04 kills per set.
Oakwood (10-15, 8-7 HBCUAC) has made significant improvement after finishing seventh in the conference last season, currently ranked fifth. It went 3-2 in the HBCUAC Crossovers. Kamaria Murray earned Attacker of the Week for September 30-October 6. Cameryn Bucknor ranks fifth in the conference with 5.59 assists per set.
Stillman (8-17, 7-8 HBCUAC), who joined the conference this season after competing in the Southern States Athletic Conference the last two seasons, is making strides in its third season since the program was reinstated in 2022. It picked up its first seven victories since the return of the program. Emily Powell won Defender of the Week twice, she ranks fifth in the conference with 4.01 digs per set. Erin Nelson is fifth with 0.47 service aces per set and ranks in the top 15 with 3.43 assists per set.
Tougaloo (7-15, 5-6 HBCUAC) has shown improvement, besting last season’s overall and conference win total by two matches. LaShundria Chatman ranks fifth in the conference with 2.44 kills per set. Kaliyah Shavers is 10th with 2.18. Taylor Cousar is eighth in the conference with 4.59 assists per set. Ke’Ira Collier ranks sixth in the conference with 3.63 digs per set.
Southern University at New Orleans (4-15, 4-8 HBCUAC), in its second season since making its return in 2023, is much stronger. It won its first four matches since 2019. Armoni Harris was the Week 2 Defender of the Week and leads the HBCUAC with 4.44 digs per set. Taszia Adkinson ranks in the top 15 of the conference with 2.03 kills per set. The regular season and tournament champions will earn automatic bids to the 2024 NAIA National Volleyball Championship. The opening round will be November 23 at campus sites. The winners will advance to the National Championship Tournament December 4-10 at Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
Along with competing for the 2024 HBCUAC title, the schools will lead clinics for junior high and high school students at the BHP YMCA and the Lash Family YMCA in Shreveport on Sunday afternoon. The 2024 All-HBCUAC Awards will be presented during the Reception at Eleven Events LLC.
Fans can catch all the action on HBCU-Plus, which can be viewed online or the free app can be downloaded on mobile devices and Smart TVs. For more information on the 2024 HBCUAC Volleyball Championship visit Tournament Central.
-HBCUAC-
About HBCU Athletic Conference The HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) is the only HBCU conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The HBCUAC membership includes Dillard University (LA), Fisk University (TN), Oakwood University (AL), Philander Smith University (AR), Rust College (MS), Southern University at New Orleans (LA), Stillman College (AL), Talladega College (AL), Tougaloo College (MS), University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas), Voorhees University (SC), Wilberforce University (OH), and Wiley University (TX). HBCUAC sponsors championships in men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track and field, women’s volleyball, softball, and baseball. In 2022, the HBCUAC secured the largest media rights deal in conference and NAIA history, signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Urban Edge Network. On July 1, 2024, the conference rebranded from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) to the HBCU Athletic Conference, marking a new era for the conference that embodies the makeup of its membership. For more information, visit hbcuac.org.
