📰🏟️ Miss understood
The new NBA cheat code…
Good afternoon. Welcome back to another week full of top sports stories. Let’s dive right in.
1) Virginia Tech lands James Franklin
The Hokies’ football team, which hasn’t cracked double-digit wins since 2016, announced Franklin’s signing yesterday, and will formally introduce him at a press conference tomorrow morning.
- Franklin’s résumé includes a 128-60 record at Penn State and Vanderbilt, an appearance in the 2024 CFP semis, a Big Ten championship in 2016—and a 4-21 record against AP top-10 opponents at Penn State.
- As part of his Virginia Tech deal, Franklin will reportedly receive a $9M settlement from Penn State, which had originally owed a $49M buyout after firing him last month.
Did Va. Tech win the coaching carousel?
2) The Houston Rockets’ best play: missing shots
Houston is doing something no NBA team has pulled off in recorded history over a full season: grabbing more than 40% of their own missed shots. The Rockets’ current mark of 40.8% is the highest since the league began charting the stat in 1997.
- Those endless second chances have turned the Rockets into the NBA’s most efficient offense—averaging 125+ points per 100 possessions—and powered a 9-3 start.
- The cheat code behind it all is Steven Adams, who snags an NBA-leading 5.1 offensive boards/game while averaging under 22 minutes.
Tap in for the full rebound rundown.
3) Senate committee launches MLB gambling probe
The Senate Commerce Committee opened an investigation into alleged corruption in Major League Baseball this week, as the sport confronts a gambling scandal.
- The move comes just over a week after Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted on multiple federal charges accusing them of manipulating MLB game outcomes for sports betting as early as 2023.
- The same Senate committee is already investigating sports corruption in basketball following last month’s indictment of active NBA players and coaches, including Chauncey Billups.
Can Congress fix the sports integrity problem?
4) Big Ten’s $2.4B private equity deal is on pause
UC Investments, which manages California universities’ endowment and pension funds, says its proposed $2.4B deal with the Big Ten is now on hold due to continued public opposition from Michigan and USC.
- Under the proposed deal, UCI would own 10% of the Big Ten’s future media-rights earnings, while all 18 B1G schools would extend their Grant of Rights binding them together for 10 more years (through 2046).
- Michigan leaders have called the proposal akin to “a payday loan” and threatened to leave the conference, while USC officials have pushed back against the structure of UCI’s payout.
Could Michigan leave the Big Ten?
5) College basketball Champions Classic tips off tonight
Four of the top blue blood schools in men’s college hoops take the floor at Madison Square Garden tonight for a stacked doubleheader on ESPN.
- Action tips off with #12 Kentucky v. #17 Michigan State (5:30 pm CT), followed by #24 Kansas v. #5 Duke in primetime (8 pm).
- These same four teams have competed in this event every year since 2011, with the matchups rotating annually.
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