Joshua Valdez Articles - Page 28

Between suspensions and a season-ending injury, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has had a rough couple of years. However, he just got bestowed with the highest possible honor by his alma mater, a welcome moment of positivity for the young star. Murray State announced on Saturday that Morant has been inducted into their Hall of […]

The Golden State Warriors are pulling out all the stops as they prepare to participate in the NBA Play-In Tournament. On Saturday, the Dubs made an under-the-radar move to shore up their depth. Two-way center Usman Garuba will now fill the club’s final roster spot as the regular season comes to close. The Dubs signed […]

The Denver Nuggets have followed up their championship-winning season with another excellent campaign. Michael Malone’s club has as good of a chance as anyone to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy once again, but the Boston Celtics could foil their plans this time around. Popular pundit Bill Simmons predicts these two teams to face off in the […]

Kentucky basketball is nothing if not well-funded. The Wildcats have already landed on their feet after losing championship-winning head coach John Calipari. Following their hire of BYU’s Mark Pope on Friday, Kentucky is apparently receiving $4 million in additional NIL backing, via Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio. The sizable donation comes from two separate […]

The Chicago Bulls (38-42) and Atlanta Hawks (36-44) have been intertwined recently. Both clubs have had similarly underwhelming seasons, with unsure futures to boot. On Wednesday, they’ll face off in the NBA Play-In Tournament. The ninth-seeded Bulls are currently favored by 3.5 points, via FanDuel. While this makes sense on paper, as Chicago is slightly […]

The NFL has often been criticized for only being relevant in the United States. However, the league is making legitimate efforts to expand its reach by playing games overseas, and now the matchup is set for the Week 1 Brazil game. It will be the Green Bay Packers playing the Philadelphia Eagles on a Friday […]

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green will go down in history as an enforcer, a modern-day Dennis Rodman type. His jump shooting, however, has never scared anybody. But on Tuesday night, the four-time champion finally caught lightning in a bottle, converting 5-of-7 three-point attempts in a historic win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Green was […]

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are two players that are on opposite ends of their careers, yet are each two of the greatest guards to ever grace the court. The two of them joining forces on the Dallas Mavericks has been predictably lethal, so much so that former NBA players are now anointing them as […]

Nothing is more disheartening for a baseball team when it starts off its 162-game season with several key players injured. The St. Louis Cardinals (5-6) have already gotten wounded early on, but it appears that many of their pieces may finally be on the mend. Starting pitcher Sonny Gray will make his season debut Tuesday […]

Arkansas basketball is the type of program that casual fans may not think about yet, but they will in due time. The Razorbacks have qualified for the Sweet Sixteen in three of the last four seasons, and have now made one of the splashiest coaching hires in recent memory. The hiring of John Calipari has […]

UConn basketball has no plans on stopping its domination on the college hoops landscape. After the Huskies’ second straight National Championship win on Monday, plenty of bold quotes were fired off amidst the net-cutting celebrations. No statement was more ominous than head coach Dan Hurley’s future predictions, via Heat Check CBB’s Brian Rauf. “I know […]

With Purdue basketball appearing in its first National Championship game since 1969, the fanbase has been understandably emotional. The Boilermakers finally got that monkey off their back, putting an end to their typical trend of getting ousted by the Sweet Sixteen. Before the game, Purdue alum and former quarterback Drew Brees expressed the immense respect he […]

It’s no secret that Kentucky basketball needs a replacement for long-tenured head coach John Calipari, a position that Wildcats fans are unfamiliar with. Coach “Cal” had been the head honcho since 2009, and led the program to a National Title in 2012. However, some of the ideal candidates for the Wildcats may be out of […]

Sports is unfair, and even the best athletes in the world come up short sometimes. Iowa women’s basketball superstar Caitlin Clark capped off a historically dominant collegiate career Sunday, but still couldn’t bring home the hardware. Clark posted “I’ll miss ya” on her Instagram story following the Hawkeyes’ 85-75 loss to South Carolina in the […]

South Carolina women’s basketball may have the Midas touch, as the legendary program continues to bring home hardware. The Gamecocks secured their second National Title in three seasons Sunday, knocking off superstar Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes 87-75. While Clark and senior Kamilla Cardoso were the headlining players, freshman guard Tessa Johnson had a […]

After USC football suffered a subpar season (8-5, 5-4) for their standards, there wasn’t much to immediately look forward to for the Trojan faithful. It felt like an especially precarious time for Lincoln Riley and company due to superstar quarterback Caleb Williams to leaving for the NFL Draft. However, the Trojans have wasted no time […]

It’s no secret that Bronny James’ freshman season didn’t go as planned, as he averaged 4.8 points a game after recovering from cardiac arrest. The 19-year-old’s surprise decision to leave USC men’s basketball for the NBA Draft—and the transfer portal if he decides against turning pro—has sent shockwaves throughout the basketball world, with some NBA […]

Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown cashed in big-time on Friday, inking a four-year, $96 million extension. This mammoth contract has sent ripple effects throughout the football world, and even caught the eye of a certain Indianapolis Colts All-Pro. That player was DeForest Buckner, another premier player at the position that should be in line […]

Hip hop and basketball have been intertwined since the NBA’s inception. From Kurtis Blow’s 1984 smash hit “Basketball,” to Allen Iverson’s cornrows and flashy jewelry, to Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James constantly posting himself vibing to rap music, the two cultural phenomenons are siblings at this point. In the latest installment of this music-sport […]

Ole Miss football head coach Lane Kiffin isn’t satisfied with a Peach Bowl win. Despite the Rebels’ successful 2023 season (11-2, 6-2) he continues to revamp the staff in efforts to keep improving the program. After snagging Billy Glassock, Zach Arnett, and Alex Brown from the college ranks, Kiffin has now hired former New York […]

The Kansas City Chiefs’ offseason has gotten off to a precarious start. Starting wide receiver Rashee Rice was suspected to be the cause of six-car accident on the Dallas highway salary Saturday, and now it appears that he’s admitting guilt. Rice posted a statement to his Instagram story on Wednesday apologizing for the incident. This […]

It appears that there was trouble in paradise, after all. With paradise being Buffalo, New York, in this case. The Bills made a blockbuster trade Wednesday morning, sending superstar wideout Stefon Diggs and a pair of late-round draft picks to the Houston Texans for a 2025 second-round pick. The writing had been on the wall […]

It’s no secret that Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze is one of the premier prospects at the position in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Consensus All-American led the country with 1,640 receiving yards in 2023, completely dominating PAC-12 defenses on a weekly basis. As a result, the football world has put the 21-year-old on […]

Kansas men’s basketball has plenty of work to do after getting blown out by Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. The writing had been on the wall for awhile, with head coach Bill Self even mentioning in the postgame presser that he had already been planning for next season several weeks prior. Luckily […]

The Denver Nuggets host the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, and Denver’s two top dogs in Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are each on the injury report. Jokic has been dealing with left hip and right wrist problems, whereas Murray has right knee inflammation. Jokic’s issues haven’t stopped him from dominating as usual, though, […]

New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu had an up-close and personal view of Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson’s greatness last season. Robinson dominated the Saints in his rookie campaign, to the tune of 254 total yards and three touchdowns across two games. Appearing on retired defensive end Chris Long’s Green Light Podcast, Mathieu compared the […]

Although LSU women’s basketball lost to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in Monday night’s Elite Eight matchup, Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey still had plenty to be thankful for. The two-time WBCA National Coach of the Year singled out one of her star players in particular, gushing over both her skill and character. Senior guard Hailey […]

Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark continues to be half-woman, half-amazing. The all-time collegiate scoring leader grows the women’s game to unprecedented levels whenever she takes the court, and there’s no telling how far she’ll take it by the time she hangs up the sneakers. Clark propelled her top-seeded Hawkeyes (33-4) to victory over defending national champion […]

Anyone who’s followed the MLB over the last few years knows that Shohei Ohtani is a one-of-a-kind commodity, the type that only comes around once a generation. Within his first six games as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani has already set a new team record. Ohtani smashed a double on Sunday Night […]

The city of Nashville, Tennessee has plenty of attractions, namely a booming music scene in addition to both NFL and college football. However, rumors have been circulating that the Chicago White Sox have looking to entrench themselves as another cultural mainstay in Music City. White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf met with Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell […]

The United Football League (UFL) kicked off its inaugural season on Saturday, aiming to establish itself as the premier minor-league football counterpart to the NFL. It’s gotten off to a good start, as the initial games have already made plenty of waves online. The latest viral highlight was Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates booting in […]

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has walked into a unique situation in his first year as a skipper. Owner Steve Cohen is more than willing to shell out cash to acquire top-shelf talent, but all the money in the world won’t be enough to wash the stench off the organization’s troubled history. Although the […]

Toronto Raptors (23-50) guard RJ Barrett has been out for nearly three weeks following the tragic death of his brother Nathan. The untimely tragedy interrupted another solid season for the Canadian veteran, as he’s second on the team with 19.5 points per game. However, it looks like Barrett will return to the court soon. The […]

After registering 1,342 receiving yards in 2023, there’s no doubt that San Francisco 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk will eventually see a nice pay raise. What team ends up offering the Second Team All-Pro that pot of gold remains to be seen. Aiyuk hopped on Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco’s “Nightcap” podcast Thursday, publicly pressuring the […]

USC guard Bronny James understandably had a rocky freshman campaign following his cardiac arrest in a preseason practice. His father, LeBron James, has openly expressed his desire to play with him in the NBA, but that doesn’t seem like a realistic option anytime soon. UCLA basketball head coach Mick Cronin hopped on FS1 talk show […]

The New York Jets continue to go all-in on a 2024 Super Bowl run, pulling off another significant trade on Friday. Gang Green shored up their edge rusher depth, acquiring Haason Reddick from the Philadelphia Eagles. The Jets are sending a conditional 2026 third-round pick for Reddick, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter. As a result, New […]

Kansas basketball guard Johnny Furphy firmly established himself as a rising star this season, earning Big 12 All-Freshman and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention status. However, the Australian international now has a decision to make following the Jayhawks’ 89-68 loss to Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Furphy must now choose between three […]

North Carolina basketball star RJ Davis was never supposed to go out like this. The ACC Player of the Year had been a force all season, right up until the most important game of the year. The No. 1 Tar Heels fell 89-87 in the Sweet Sixteen of March Madness to No. 4 Alabama Wednesday […]

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is winless on Opening Day, and he’s taking an unconventional approach to changing that trend. The sixth-year skipper is 0-5 all-time on the first game of the season, and he’ll look to break that spell Wednesday night against the Seattle Mariners. With right-handed ace Luis Castillo taking the mound […]