It is a winning weekend for Americans in US-based clay court tennis tournaments with Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton at the heart of it on Easter Sunday at the US Mens Clay Court Championship in Houston.Paul won his first ATP clay court title in a thrilling three set match where he saved three match points. Houston is significant for him because it is the tournament where he earned his first ATP match win in 2016.This is the fifth career ATP title for the 28 year old. Paul continues the winning ways for American men at this tournament. Reilly Opelka, Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, and Jenson Brooksby are past champions. MORE: Nike crashes and burns with Jannik Sinner clay court kitShelton wins first ATP doubles titleShelton may have been knocked out of singles early, but his maiden doubles win with former Florida Gator teammate Andres Andrade was very special.The pair celebrated by jumping off the diving board into the pool with the ball kids looking on.MORE: Stefanos Tsitsipas recent comment reveals ultimate downfall of TsitsidosaDo Paul and Sheltons clay court wins bode well for Americans in European tournaments?After the celebrations, the big question is if these wins can be a vaulting point for American men in the European clay court swing. Mar 20, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Tommy Paul (USA) hits a forehand against Adrian Mannarino (FRA) (not pictured) on day four of the 2026 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn ImagesHistorically, Houston is an American stronghold, but European tournaments are a struggle.One of these days an American man is going to break the Grand Slam drought. Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003. Many expect that it will happen on the hardcourts of Australia or New York, but wouldnt it be something if an American man could surprise the world and win the French Open?

Michigan coach Dusty May informed university officials that he's not pursuing any college basketball jobs, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

BCB has reaffirmed its leadership structure and strengthened its coaching set-up during the fourth Board of Directors meeting held in Dhaka on Saturday.

SportsLine's model simulated the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Detroit Tigers 10,000 times and revealed its MLB predictions and Sunday Night Baseball picks

The Dallas Cowboys really do hold all of the cards. The team made a very smart trade last May, after failing to have Tetoria McMillan fall to them in the first round, the Cowboys gave up their 2026 third-round pick along with a 2027 Day 3 pick swap to acquire WR George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cowboys needed to improve their passing game, and adding Pickens to WR CeeDee Lamb worked extremely well.But now, a year later, and the two sides are in a predictable contract face-off. The fourth-year wideout balled out to an All-Pro level, making the trade for a player with just one year remaining on his deal worth it. The Cowboys aren't ready to pay him at the top-of-the-market though, and Pickens wants to be compensated at a level that equals his status in the league. If both sides dig in, there may be the usual offseason drama in Dallas, but this time the Cowboys organization has a strong upper hand.The Cowboys have allowed Pickens to explore deals with other teams; that's what the non-exclusive tag allows. Thus far, there's been little chatter about a team willing to engage in trade talks with the Cowboys and give Pickens the contract amount he's seeking. Pickens can't sign an offer sheet with a club without the acquiring team committing two first-round picks to Dallas. The parameters of a deal would have to be agreed to, unofficially, and then the club engage in trade talks with the Cowboys for less than two firsts. So even in this way, the Cowboys hold all of the cards, but it goes much deeper than that.Pickens, who had earned a reputation as a disruptor, was on his best behavior in Dallas. He has a timing issue, reportedly being late to meetings and missing curfew on multiple occasions, but those are hardly worthwhile talking points when the production on the field looks like Pickens'. Why? Because the Cowboys have as much contractual control over Pickens they could want. The wide receiver market continues to explode, but thanks to the franchise tag, and the Cowboys' comfort with using it as a tool, Dallas can keep Pickens on the roster for several years at less than market value.Dallas has already leveraged the tag for 2026, which will pay Pickens $27.3 million this coming season. Combined with his $3.6 million price tag last season, the Cowboys got two years of All-Pro receiver play (projecting a similar output in 2026) for a third-round pick and $15.5 million a season.That Average Annual Value (AAV) would rank 29th among NFL wideouts if it were a two-year deal. Even adding in a second tag in 2027 which would be for 120% or $32.8 million, Pickens would still be far below the current going rate. $63.7 million across three years is still just a $21.2 million AAV.That's still outside the Top 20 of current wideout averages.And get this, if the Cowboys did the normally unthinkable and use the rarified third franchise tag on Pickens, the one year amount would be an outrageous 144% of the prior salary, or $47.2 million. In 2028 that would likely qualify as the most expensive per-year number in the league. Jaxon Smith-Njigba just became the highest-paid WR ever at $42.15 million on average. Puka Nacua may take that top slot, but he just checked himself into rehab. Is Chris Olave that guy? Likely not going to move the needle that much ahead. $47.2 million for Pickens would be outrageous in that light. But from the perspective of how much Dallas would have paid across four years since the trade?$111 million. That's still just a $27.7 million average across four seasons. Even if one were to look at new money from this point forward, excluding the rookie-deal 2025 salary, three franchise tags still comes up to $107.3 million across three years, or a $35.8 million average. That's steep, and clearly higher than Dallas wants to venture, but it's a year-by-year deal where there's never a commitment to future years. Two tags? No brainer at $60 million total, $30 million per season. Would they love to spread out the cap hit across future seasons? Of course, but of all the teams who know how to manage the single-year big tag hit, it's the Cowboys.This situation is lopsided in the Cowboys favor... until one factors in the reason Pickens was available for trade to begin with.Pickens only recourse in this situation is to become a problem child. He'll rightfully sit out offseason work, but once training camp comes around in July, Pickens has to be there or fines and missed game penalties (missed preseason games cost regular season paychecks) will eat into the amount he sees at the end of the day.Pickens can pull the hold-in model, to force the Cowboys' hands a bit, but in reality he's already burned those bridges with his issues in Pittsburgh. Adding more fuel to the fire of him being difficult to work with and risk damaging his long-term contract dreams in other competitive markets. Sure, places with no structure and no hope would pay him what he desires, but many teams with strong belief in culture may hesitate.It would become a self-fulfilling prophecy.This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Pickens may have to cave to Cowboys or be forcefed $111M over 4 years

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley spoke glowingly of UCLA coach Cori Close after the Gamecocks' loss to the Bruins in the NCAA championship game Sunday.

Sameer Rizvi fell for a scintillating 90 off just 51 deliveries-an innings laced with seven fours and seven sixes-virtually sealing a second consecutive win for his side.

Nearly a third of this week's two-start selection is must-start

CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 05: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots over Jalen Slawson #18 of the Indiana Pacers during the second quarter at Rocket Arena on April 05, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesDonovan Mitchell led all scorers with 38 points and James Harden poured in 28 as the Cleveland Cavaliers let their star-studded backcourt carry the team past the Indiana Pacers 117-108. Obi Toppin and Micah Potter led the way for Indiana with 21 points each.In what has become a tradition for the Cavs this season, they lallygagged their way through the first three quarters against an inferior opponent and relied on a huge fourth to win the game. The Cavs trailed by three points at the half, allowed the Pacers to put up 33 in the third, and then slammed the brakes in the fourth by allowing just 17 points en route to a nine-point victory. The Cavs were without Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, instead relying on a front court of Max Strus and Thomas Bryant, who combined for 18 points, 17 rebounds, and seven assists. Despite having a sizable portion of their rotation out due to injury, the Cavs were still double-digit favorites heading into the game, in large part because the Pacers are angling for a lottery pick and have no incentive to put their best lineups out there. And yet, despite this, the Cavs still had trouble putting them away. Mitchells 38 points, six rebounds, and six assists qualify as another superstar effort. He played brilliantly, shot very efficiently (16-27 from the floor), and displayed what makes him one of the best overall players in the league. WHAT A MOVE BY DONOVAN MITCHELL pic.twitter.com/vxILztyK9o NBA (@NBA) April 5, 2026The issue though is that the Cavs once again should not need Mitchell to drop a near 40-piece to come back against a Pacers lineup that features all bench players. To make matters even scarier, Mitchell landed awkwardly after a three-point attempt in the fourth quarter and was walking a little gingerly after it, although he said he was fine afterward. Given that the Cavs are now just one game away from clinching home court in the first round of the playoffs, it would not be surprising to see Mitchells minutes (and the rest of the core four, for that matter) decrease to near zero.Prior to tonights game, head coach Kenny Atkinson said the team is not set on having Max Strus as the teams starting small forward going forward. And, after the performance he put up, that was probably the right decision. Strus was just 1-10 from the field and a team-low -8 in the +/- department. Atkinson said the team expects Jaylon Tyson back for the playoffs, which begin in 13 days, but it is concerning that he was also described as being behind Dean Wade in terms of recovery timeline. Both Tyson and Wade would be candidates to start at small forward.The bench had an interesting game, with Craig Porter, Larry Nance Jr., and Dennis Schroder getting at least 20 minutes each. They combined to have a +/- of 27, but the counting stats are nothing flashy. Nances 22 minutes were the most for him in a single game since November 2nd, when he had 24 against the Atlanta Hawks. With the Cavs all but locked into the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, setting up for a date with the Atlanta Hawks, the final few games may look different. To make things even more interesting, the Cavs will play those same Hawks twice in the final four games. However, the Cavs lead them by 3.5 games, and the odds favor Cleveland maintaining their positioning.It is a quick turnaround for Cleveland, who head to Memphis for a game on Monday night against the Grizzlies. Tip-off is at 8:00 p.m EST.

The most iconic highlight reel in sports started in a Michigan bar 40 years ago -- and was almost an NFL anthem.