Latest news with #APPlayeroftheYear
Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
JaMarr Chase Baker Mayfield and Travis Hunter spark new MVP debate as non favorites take the lead
JaMarr Chase Baker Mayfield and Travis Hunter spark new MVP debate as non favorites take the lead (Image via Getty) The 2025 NFL MVP talk is heating up, and it's not just about the big names like Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen. This year, a few surprising players have entered the conversation. Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, two-way rookie Travis Hunter, and experienced quarterback Baker Mayfield are now being called 'dark horses' for the award. Fans are shocked. How did these three end up in the MVP race? What did they do to earn this spotlight? Their journeys are different, but all three have shown something special that's now hard to ignore. Ja'Marr Chase Travis Hunter and Baker Mayfield listed as MVP dark horses for 2025 On June 17, 2025, and various other sites focused on Ja'Marr Chase, Travis Hunter, and Baker Mayfield as dark horse candidates for the 2025 MVP race. Ja'Marr Chase is a talented wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals who had a solid 2024 season with some monster catches and massive yards even as the team struggled. His current MVP odds are +10000, a pretty uncommon spot for a wide receiver. Travis Hunter, the rookie phenom selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in April 2025 shocked many by being on that list of potential MVP candidates. Travis Hunter, only 21, plays on both sides of the ball — wide receiver and cornerback — something no one has done in the league at this level in recent years. His college career at Colorado ended with several honors, including the 2024 AP Player of the Year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Sportswriter Judy Battista called him 'a rare kind of player who could change MVP voting forever. ' Baker Mayfield, Burgess Buccaneers quarterback, had a massive year in 2024, bouncing back from the previous season. He passed for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, with a 71.4% pass completion percentage. He finished at +3300 odds for MVP. Experts believe that if Baker Mayfield leads the Bucs to a strong playoff run, he could surprise everyone in the MVP race. Coaches and experts give credit to strong work ethic and leadership In an interview with ESPN on June 20, 2025, Burgess Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said, 'Baker Mayfield stepped up as a true leader last season.' Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson also praised Travis Hunter's 'high football IQ and non-stop motor.' Bengals QB Joe Burrow said about Ja'Marr Chase, 'He does things on the field no one else can.' All three players are turning heads—and maybe the MVP race too. Also Read: 'He's Asking For Trouble': Travis Hunter's Recent Outing With Leanna Lenee Has Fans Panicking About His Well-Being Follow all the live updates, scores, and highlights from the India vs England Test match here . Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Newsweek
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Mavericks Closing In on Cooper Flagg for No 1 Draft Pick
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. With the 2024-25 NBA season coming to a close, soon all eyes will be on the offseason. This offseason is expected to be one for the books, and the first big event on the calendar will be the 2025 NBA Draft. The draft, which will take place in late June, is one worth watching, and it will feature one of the best prospects of the last decade, Duke superstar phenom Cooper Flagg. Flagg is on track to be the top selection in this year's draft, and all indications suggest the Mavericks will use their No. 1 pick on him later this month. Sources tell ESPN that the Mavericks will host Flagg for a workout in mid-June. Nico Harrison of the Dallas Mavericks watches warmups before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center on April 10, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. Nico Harrison of the Dallas Mavericks watches warmups before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center on April 10, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. Photo byESPN's Shams Charania and Jonathan Givony shared how the Mavericks will work out Flagg, and they have no intention of working out any other prospects. "The Mavericks have no plans to work out any other prospects for the No. 1 pick and have made clear publicly and privately that they plan on selecting Flagg when Adam Silver puts them on the clock to open the 2025 NBA Draft." Dallas made it clear from the jump that they had no plans to move the No. 1 pick after landing it in the draft lottery. That stance hasn't changed — and the fact that they're reportedly not entertaining any other prospect speaks volumes about how highly they view Flagg. Flagg is fresh off a legendary freshman campaign at Duke — one that's already being talked about as one of the greatest ever by a college player. His accolades tell the story: AP Player of the Year, consensus First-Team All-American, Lute Olson Award winner, Julius Erving Award winner, Wayman Tisdale Award winner, ACC Player of the Year, First-Team All-ACC, ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC All-Defensive Team, and ACC All-Freshman Team. The Mavericks have had a roller coaster of a season. They start the season a bit shaky, and then they make what most call a boneheaded move by trading their superstar, Luka Doncic, to the Lakers. After that, they endure a stretch of injuries unlike any other, and they end the season with the No. 1 pick. Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has endured a ton of criticism, and he deserves it; however, that could all change in the coming months with how he builds this team for the upcoming 2025-26 season. More Cooper Flagg news: What's Next for Duke Star Cooper Flagg After Final Four Loss? Celtics' Brad Stevens Shares Massive Update on Meeting with Cooper Flagg Charles Barkley Suggests Bucks Deal Giannis Antetokounmpo to Draft Cooper Flagg For more NBA news and Cooper Flagg news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where did ESPN rank Brent Venables as a player?
Where did ESPN rank Brent Venables as a player? The time of year when college football fans are hankering for college football but have little recruiting or transfer-portal news to keep up with always produces some engaging offseason content. Way off-season. Over at ESPN, college football analyst Adam Rittenberg put together a tier list of every FBS coach ranked by how good that coach was in college. More specifically, he put coaches into tiers that appear largely unranked, then capped the list with a top 30. So, where does Oklahoma's Brent Venables fit in? Not as high as Tennessee's Josh Heupel, but not in a bad landing spot. The Sooners coach slotted into the "Pre-portal transfers" tier. That tier ranks sixth of eight, though, again, differentiating between the middle tiers is a matter of perspective. Venables fit there because he began his career at Garden City Community College, becoming a JUCO All-American in 1990. From there, he transferred in-state to play for his mentor, Bill Snyder, at Kansas State. In Manhattan, Venables earned All-Big Eight honorable mention status his senior year after logging 114 tackles. No other SEC coach was among the nine remaining in that tier. The top-30 rankings yielded five Southeastern Conference head coaches. At the top, of course, former Sooners Heisman Trophy winner Josh Heupel. He immediately made his presence known in 1999 with 3,850 passing yards and 33 touchdowns. Heupel then led the Sooners to a national title in 2000, recording 3,606 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. He was named AP Player of the Year, won the Walter Camp Award and consensus All-America honors, and was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. - Rittenberg, ESPN Oklahoma and Tennessee meet on the field with Heupel and Venables roaming the sidelines in Knoxville on November 1 this fall. Last year, Heupel's Volunteers won the matchup in Norman, 25-15. For those with a curious bit of state pride, four coaches with ties to the Sooner State ranked in the top 30. Purdue's Barry Odom (Ada) ranked 24th, Arkansas' Sam Pittman (Grove) ranked 21st, and Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy (Midwest City) ranked fifth. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sparks React to Major Kelsey Plum News After Three Games
Kelsey Plum built an impressive basketball career. The 30-year-old California native was the first overall pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft after a standout collegiate run at the University of Washington, where she played four seasons with the Huskies. Plum began her professional career with the San Antonio Stars, who later became the Las Vegas Aces in 2018. After the 2024 season, she was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in a three-team deal. Advertisement So far, Plum has made an immediate impact with her new team, averaging 26.7 points per game despite the Sparks losing two of their first three contests. On Wednesday, during an 89-86 loss, Plum reached a major career milestone. The Sparks celebrated her achievement on social media later that night: "KP the shooter! Congrats to @Kelseyplum10 on making 500 career three-pointers!" Plum finished that game with 25 points and six assists in 40 minutes of play. In the season opener, she lit up Golden State with 37 points and six assists in an 84-67 victory. Throughout her WNBA career, Plum has won two league championships and made three All-Star appearances. She was named the 2022 All-Star Game MVP and earned the Sixth Player of the Year award the year prior. Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Terada-Imagn Images At Washington, she was a 2017 first-team All-American, the AP Player of the Year and won both the John R. Wooden and Dawn Staley Awards. The school retired her No. 10 jersey in recognition of her accomplishments. Advertisement Plum also helped Team USA win gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where the Americans edged out France 67-66. It was her second Olympic gold medal after winning in the 3x3 basketball event at the 2020 Games. The Sparks will try to bounce back at home this weekend. They'll face the Golden State Valkyries again on Friday before hosting the Chicago Aces on Sunday. Related: ESPN's Monica McNutt Makes Strong Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Statement Related: Angel Reese's Strong Statement on Kamilla Cardoso Amid Sky Season
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paige Bueckers' Blunt Response to Immediate Problem in WNBA Rookie Season
On Monday, the Dallas Wings dropped their second straight game, falling 79-71 at home to the Seattle Storm. Rookie guard Paige Bueckers led Dallas with 19 points, eight assists and five rebounds, improving markedly on her debut line of 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists in a season-opening loss to the Minnesota Lynx. Advertisement Yet, the Wings shot a woeful 4-for-19 from three and were repeatedly burned by Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams and Nneka Ogwumike, who combined for 61 points. After the final buzzer, a reporter noted that defenses have been sending double teams at Bueckers "on nearly every possession" and asked how she planned to respond. "I mean it's probably smart just to get the ball out of my hands, and just trying to... adjust offensively on how to counteract a trap... and maybe less ball screens and screening," Bueckers said. "But it's just something a different look that defenses are throwing at me, which is an adjustment. And so just continue to learn and work through that." Bueckers concluded a decorated five-year career at UConn this spring as the nation's premier college player. Advertisement She led the Huskies to the 2025 NCAA title, earning all of the sport's top honors in her senior year: the Honda Sports Award, Wade Trophy, and AP Player of the Year, among others. A three-time unanimous first-team All-American (2021, 2024, 2025) and two-time Nancy Lieberman Award winner, Bueckers posted a career scoring average of 19.9 points per game, the highest in UConn history. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5).Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The Wings selected her with the first overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft in April. At 0-2, they now face a true test of resilience when Bueckers returns to Minnesota on Wednesday for her 'homecoming' versus the Lynx. Related: Former WNBA Champion Involved in Caitlin Clark Incident Gets Released Related: Indiana Fever Turn Heads with Roster Announcement on Thursday
