North Carolina head men's basketball coach Hubert Davis was fired by the school after another early exit in the NCAA tournament, a source told ESPN.

Broncos predicted to trade defensive veteran to new top rival originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Denver Broncos are in the thick of the championship hunt in 2026 following a massive trade to acquire wide receiver Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins, but there are many things that can still happen between now and the start of the season.Teams around the league will be jockeying for position before and after April's draft and we could see dozens of trades before the 2026 season kicks off. Would the Broncos consider trading one of their long-term defensive players?Moe Moton of Bleacher Report feels it could be possible. Not only does he have the Broncos trading defensive lineman D.J. Jones, but he has them sending him to the Buffalo Bills. Here was his analysis on the subject:"In 2025, the Buffalo Bills allowed the fifth-most rushing yards, third-most yards per carry and the second-most rushing touchdowns. They need to beef up their defensive front on early downs.Thus far, the Bills have made few notable moves to bolster their interior defensive line, which could be a problem if they rely solely on inexperienced starters and rookies.New Bills head coach Joe Brady hired defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, who was the defensive pass game coordinator on the Denver Broncos' staff under Sean Payton over the last two years. He may be able to convince the Bills that D.J. Jones is worth acquiring to strengthen the run defense.Although Jones only played40 percentof the defensive snaps during the previous term, he logged 39 tackles (four for loss) and three sacks,missing just three tacklesall year.In Buffalo, Jones could play in an expanded role as the leader of a young interior group that shows a little more resistance against ground attacks".Trading D.J. Jones doesn't make much sense for BroncosThat sounds good from Buffalo's perspective. Jones has spent the past four seasons with the Broncos, registering 161 total tackles and eight sacks, including three last season. He would beef up the run defense and the connection to Leonhard makes sense.But the Broncos, who already lost John Franklin-Myers in free agency, are thin along the defensive line and need to keep the rest of the group together as much as possible. The Broncos have had one of the best defenses in the league over the last couple of seasons and the front office seems intent on keeping it together as best it can.Furthermore, sending Jones to the Bills, a team the Broncos just had a fiery playoff battle with this past season and a team that will likely stand in its path again, seems counter-productive.HOT READ:Where do Broncos rank in "wide open" AFC West following start of free agencyIt's unlikely the Broncos will have much interest in moving Jones, given the way the defensive line is currently constructed, but if they do, the Bills would be one of the last places they should send him.More Broncos NewsHow one of college football's biggest games led to Broncos trading for Jaylen WaddleBroncos urged to add 34-TD tight end or draft Vanderbilt star to strengthen positionBroncos find huge value at top three positions of need in draft prediction4 Broncos players who will be squarely on roster bubble despite being re-signedBroncos' offensive lineman clearly happy where he is, accepts pay cut for 2026 season

A stunning NCAA Tournament collapse, eroding donor support and mounting internal pressure culminated in North Carolina cutting ties, a move that breaks the program's 70-year coaching lineage

Bangladesh players have received no-objection certificates (NOCs) from their cricket board to participate in the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

That's a wrap for Hubert Davis at his alma mater. Davis will not return to the North Carolina Tar Heels next season. After five seasons as the Tar Heels head coach, Davis reportedly informed his team of his departure on Tuesday night. His departure comes in the wake of No. 6-seeded North Carolina's overtime loss to No. 11-seeded VCU in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Tournament. "We appreciate all that Hubert has done for Carolina as a player, assistant coach, head coach and community leader he has helped make special memories we will never forget,"Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said in a statement released by the school. "This was not an easy decision because of Hubert's tremendous character and all he has given to the program, but we must move forward in a way that allows our team to compete more consistently at an elite level."Executive Associate Athletic Director Steve Newmark added: "Hubert cares deeply for our University, and it has been inspiring to watch him instill that love and Tar Heel tradition into the players he has coached. Chancellor Roberts, Bubba and I join all of the Carolina community in thanking Hubert and his family for all they have done for UNC."UNC will honor the terms of Davis' contract.A national search is underway for the Tar Heels' next head coach. Cunningham and Newmark are leading the search and Carolina has hired executive search firm Turnkey ZRG to assist. Cunningham and Newmark also will consult with an advisory group comprised of a key stakeholders including former players, former coaches and supporters of UNC Athletics.Davis played for the Tar Heels from 1988-92 and 12 seasons in the NBA. He was an assistant coach under head coach Roy Williams for nine years from 2012-21, helping UNC win theNational title in 2017. He became Carolina's head coach in April 2021 following Williams' retirement. North Carolina finished this season at 24-9 overall and 12-6 in ACC play, good for fourth in the conference. It failed to win a game in the ACC Tournament, losing to Clemson in the quarterfinal round of the tournament. The Tar Heels were dealt a blow earlier this month when freshman forward and leading scorer (19.8 points per game) and rebounder (9.4 rebounds per game) Caleb Wilson broke his right thumb while trying to recover from a broken bone in his left hand, an injury that he suffered in February. This year marked the second consecutive season that North Carolina was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, with the Tar Heels having to play in the First Four round in 2025 before being eliminated in the first round. Over Davis' five seasons as North Carolina's head coach, the Tar Heels went a combined 125-54, making the NCAA Tournament in all but one season (2022-23). North Carolina reached the 2022 National Championship in what was his first season as the team's head coach. Davis was also the 2023-24 ACC Coach of the Year in a season that saw North Carolina earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Granted, the Tar Heels were eliminated by the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sweet 16. Davis, who played four seasons at North Carolina (1988-89 season to 1991-92 season) highlighted by averaging 21.4 points per game and earning All-ACC honors in his senior season was previously an assistant coach at the school under head coach Roy Williams for nine seasons before succeeding the latter in 2021.

The Muhammad Ali Boxing Revival Act, which would shift the structure of pro boxing by allowing Unified Boxing Organizations as options for boxers, passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a voice vote Tuesday.

The NFL may finally be addressing a controversial situation that directly impacted the Detroit Lions during the 2025 season.As reported by Pride of Detroits Jeremy Reisman, the league has introduced a series of rule proposals ahead of the upcoming owners meetings, including one that would allow officials to correct missed ejection-worthy incidents in real time.And yes, it stems from a moment Lions fans have not forgotten.The Play That Sparked It AllBack in Week 15, during a game at Ford Field, DK Metcalf was involved in a shocking incident where he threw a punch toward a fan in the crowd.The problem was simple. Officials never saw it.Because the act went unnoticed during live play, no penalty was called, and Metcalf remained in the game. While he did not dominate statistically, the fact that he stayed on the field after such an act raised serious questions.The league later suspended him for two games, but the damage in that moment was already done.What the NFL Is ProposingThe new rule proposal, submitted by the NFLs Competition Committee, would allow league personnel to step in when something like that is missed on the field.In short, the league could alert officials and initiate a disqualification before the next snap if the act is deemed flagrant.That means a situation like the Metcalf incident would no longer rely solely on whether on-field officials saw it in real time.Why This Matters for DetroitFor the Lions, this is more than just a rule tweak. It is about competitive fairness.In last years situation, Detroit had no recourse during the game itself. Even though the act clearly warranted an ejection, the rules prevented any in-game correction.This proposal changes that.If passed, it would give the league a chance to intervene quickly and remove a player for actions that cross the line, even if officials initially miss it.The CatchThere is one major challenge.The rule requires that the act be identified before the next play begins.That sounds simple, but in reality, incidents like the one involving Metcalf often take time to surface. By the time video or reports reach league personnel, the game may have already moved on.So while the rule is a step in the right direction, its effectiveness will depend heavily on how quickly the league can react.Final ThoughtsThe NFL is clearly trying to close a loophole that allowed a controversial moment to slip through the cracks.For the Detroit Lions, this proposal feels like a direct response to a frustrating situation that should not have happened in the first place.If approved, it will not erase what happened last season, but it could ensure that similar moments are handled properly moving forward.

SportsLine's model simulated the Texas Children's Houston Open 2026 10,000 times and revealed its surprising PGA picks this week after Scottie Scheffler withdrew on Tuesday

Pacer Kashvee Gautam, who has played Test and ODIs for India, has been included in the T20 squad led by Harmanpreet Kaur.

Itay coach Gennaro Gattuso acknowledged that only "someone without blood running through their veins" wouldnt feel nervous as the team attempts to avoid failing to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. Gattuso is still just as feisty and gritty as when he played on the Italy team that won the countrys fourth World Cup in 2006. Ahead of Thursdays playoff match against Northern Ireland, he also suggested he sent home talented winger Federico Chiesa in what could amount to a definitive break with the standout player of the European Championship trophy run five years ago. "Its undeniable that theres nervousness," Gattuso said Monday. "Only someone without blood running through their veins wouldnt feel it. But we need to do a good job of transmitting a lot of positivity." Positivity, however, is not what describes Italys performances in the playoffs for the previous two World Cups, when the Azzurri were eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia, respectively. Italy is in jeopardy at the same stage for the upcoming World Cup in North America after two losses to Norway in qualifying. The Azzurri need to beat Northern Ireland at home in Bergamo and then Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away next week to avoid going at least 16 years without even playing a match at soccers biggest event. "There are no alibis," Gattuso said. "Its useless to think if we could have done better. The only thing we should be thinking about is Thursdays game. Forget that weve won four World Cups, two Euros and an Olympic title. For us, the only game is Thursdays. "All of the players that are here today know what were playing for and how important it is." 'Useless' for Chiesa to stay Chiesa was sent back to Liverpool upon briefly rejoining the national team for the first time after an almost two-year absence. "He had some minor (phyisical) issues and we decided that it was useless for him to stay," Gattuso said. But then why are other injured players like Sandro Tonali, Gianluca Scamacca and Alessandro Bastoni staying with the team? Especially after Gattuso announced when he took over from the fired Luciano Spalletti in June that injured players would remain with the squad to improve team spirit. "Because not every player has the same frame of mind," Gattuso said. "When I hear that someone is wavering thats when I know I need to make a choice. We decided it together. He felt he wasnt up to it and he went home. I need to accept it." Bologna winger Nicolo Cambiaghi has replaced Chiesa. Chiesa has played only sparingly since joining Liverpool from Juventus two years ago and started only one Premier League match this season. Northern Ireland also lost a key player Monday when center back Daniel Ballard was ruled out with an injured hamstring. The Sunderland defender is among the few with Premier League experience on Northern Ireland's team. Conor Bradley, Northern Ireland's captain and a Liverpool right back, was already out injured. Team dinners Since Gattuso was not able to convince soccer authorities to set up a training camp in the four months since Italy last played, he and delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon embarked on a tour up and down Italy plus trips to London, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to share dinners with the squad players in order to maintain team spirit. "There was no white board or markers," Gattuso said. "We didnt go to talk about football or tactics. We were there to create team unity." Bergamo stadium Gattuso said he chose to play in Bergamos 23,500-seat stadium to create a more positive atmosphere. When Italy lost to Norway at the San Siro in November, he noticed that AC Milan and Inter Milan fans would whistle at players from opposing clubs. "At the first errant pass you start hearing the whistles," Gattuso said. "Whereas when we played in Bergamo we got cheered at halftime when it was 0-0." Dealing with adversity Italy led Norway 1-0 at halftime in November before Norway scored four second-half goals including a brace by Erling Haaland. "I really worked a lot over these months at dealing with adversity. One event shouldnt change the dynamics of a match," Gattuso said. "It depends on how you react and deal with it." Olympics, F1 and tennis The playoff comes following a string of successes in other sports by Italians from the Winter Olympics to Formula 1 to tennis, volleyball and even baseball. "These things go in cycles," Gattuso said. "When I see us winning in other sports it gets me motivated. It makes me feel pride. Right now our history tells us that were struggling. But weve got a big chance here to reach our goal." If Italy does qualify for the World Cup, it will be in Group B with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland. Reporting by The Associateed Press

null

STILLWATER Trip White ranks in the top 20% of longest-tenured Oklahoma State football players, yet for much of the last three months, it hasnt felt that way.Since its, like, 87 new people, I kinda feel like the new person on the team, White said Wednesday after the Cowboys completed their fourth spring practice under new coach Eric Morris. If youll just be a good teammate, youll fit right in. Everybody will want to know you.I know most of the defense, so thats the good part. I just need to get to know more of the offensive guys.A linebacker whose role grew throughout last season, White is one of the 24 players who remained after the disaster of 2025, and his desire to see OSU football succeed was one of the key pieces that kept him in Stillwater.I really love the OSU culture, he said. I wanna see us win, and I know this is gonna be the season.White is part of a linebacker group that is full of experience, and his desire to put a better product on the field this year has been evident since the new staff arrived.More: An unexpected twist put Wyatt Young on path to Oklahoma State footballHe was sold on what Coach Morris was bringing, and he wanted to stay and compete, linebackers coach Reggie Johnson said. You look at him, gah, hes a good-looking rascal.Hes long, hes athletic and hes got a lot of ability. So its my job to get his butt coached up. And hes been good.The Pokes were in shoulder pads Wednesday for the first time in spring, so the intensity has begun to build a bit more. But the learning curve remains the most important focus for now.Everyones buying in, White said. The teams locking in, trying to come as one.Coach Johnson, hes a cool guy. I love Coach Johnson. Hes funny, but hes about business, for sure. Hes a business guy, and hes a good teacher.Drew Svoboda faces unique challenge building special teamsDrew Svoboda is a man of many titles.Hes Morris associate head coach, along with being the special teams coordinator and the tight ends coach.Yet among all those roles, his duties building the special teams units might be the most challenging in the current situation.Svoboda was familiar on some level with most of the specialists he brought in at kicker, punter and longsnapper. But building the depth chart for the coverage and return teams is a much different animal.Weve got 81 new players, and where that is felt most is special teams, because youre involving everybody, Svoboda said. Youre learning what they can all do, getting the right people on the bus, getting them in the right seats. And then as we start the development process, we start to get the scheme taught.But the biggest thing is finding out what these guys can do and what their capacity is for learning all the different phases of the game.Deep connection drew tight end Donovan Green to OSUDonovan Green was a highly regarded tight end prospect when he came out of Dickinson High School outside of Houston in 2022. His career has taken some unexpected twists, with stops at Texas A&M and LSU before arriving at OSU for his redshirt senior season.And his draw to Stillwater began with a connection from his days at Dickinson.Coach Svoboda, when he was at Alabama and I was in high school, he actually tried to recruit me, Green said. Hes from Tomball, Texas, which is kinda close to my home. He actually played at (Stephen F. Austin) with my high school tight ends coach.He knew the head coach at my high school, too, so that was a pretty close connection.That, paired with the Cowboys need at tight end, made for an intriguing situation in the recruiting process.They werent the first school to reach out, but once they reached out, they became a big contender right away, Green said.Green, who is listed at 6-foot-3, 238 pounds, feels his versatility is an ideal fit in Morris offense.I feel like I can stretch the field, and I feel like I can still get down and block, he said. As a tight end, being able to do both can increase your value on the field. You dont have to play one role. It changes everything.Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on X at @ScottWrightOK. Support Scotts work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football's Trip White explains why he stuck with Cowboys