Porter's 16 second-half points lead Clemson to an 80-76 victory o… — and more

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Jestin Porter scored all 16 of his points in the second half as Clemson snapped a four-game losing streak with an 80-76 victory over No. 24 Louisville on Saturday.

The Tigers, once comfortably in the NCAA Tournament field with 10 wins in their first 11 Atlantic Coast Conference games, had raised questions the past two weeks with their late-season slide. But Clemson (21-8, 11-5 ACC) held off the Cardinals (20-9, 9-7) with defense and Porter's timely baskets.

Up 55-49, Porter drove through the right side of Louisville's defense for a basket off the glass. Moments later, Nick Davidson stole the ball from Adrian Wooley, fed a perfect pass to a wide-open Porter who hit a 3-pointer for a double-digit lead.

The Tigers led by 15 with 1:08 to play when Louisville used a 17-6 run for the final score.

Porter, a senior transfer from Middle Tennessee State, had not scored in double figures in 10 games and, with zero points and two fouls in the first 20 minutes on Saturday, did not appear on pace to break that streak. But Porter made two early shots in the second half before his critical stretch put away the Cardinals.

Clemson's defense locked down on Louisville leading scorer Mikel Brown Jr., who finished with five points on 2-of-10 shooting. Wooley had 17 points to lead the Cardinals, who have lost three of their past four.

Louisville broke out early for an 11-7 lead on 3-pointers by Ryan Conwell and J’Vonne Hadley and a three-point play by Brown. But the Tigers followed with a 12-4 surge to take the lead and went to the half up 38-35.

Up next

Louisville: host Syracuse on Tuesday.

Clemson: at North Carolina on Tuesday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Atlético Madrid traveled to face bottom-of-the-table Real Oviedo with Sørloth starting upfront despite his poor performance. The Norwegian striker, who had scored five goals in his last two matches, was substituted after approximately 60 minutes of play.

The match remained goalless until stoppage time when Julian Alvarez secured the winning goal for the visitors. Atlético maintains third position in La Liga, though they trail leaders Barcelona by 15 points.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Collin Chandler scored a career-high 23 points to lead Kentucky to a 91-77 win over No. 25 Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Otega Oweh also had 23 points for Kentucky (19-10, 10-6 Southeastern Conference), which split the regular-season series after losing to the Commodores 80-55 on Jan. 27 in Nashville. The Wildcats notched their second straight victory after dropping three straight to Florida, Georgia and Auburn earlier this month.

Tyler Tanner led the Commodores (22-9, 9-7) with 19 points, followed by Jalen Washington with 16. Tyler Nickel had 13, AK Okereke scored 12 and Duke Miles had 11.

Chandler tied a career high with six 3-pointers and Kentucky which finished with 11 in the game. He had five of the Wildcats' seven in the first half for 15 points.

Chandler connected on back-to-back 3s and scored six of the first eight points for the Wildcats. Kentucky used a 7-0 run to build a double-digit lead, which it maintained throughout the game.

Kentucky led 46-31 at the break and increased the margin to 89-67 with 3:05 remaining.

Denzel Aberdeen had 15 points for Kentucky, making three 3-pointers. The Wildcats managed just 3s in the first meeting.

Kentucky, which had committed 56 turnovers in the previous four games, had just 11, including three in the opening half.

Up next

Vanderbilt: At Mississippi on Tuesday night.

Kentucky: At Texas A&M on Tuesday night.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

The 2026 offseason is in full swing, and it's another important one for the Chicago Bears, who are looking to get back to the postseason in head coach Ben Johnson's second season.

General manager Ryan Poles has some work to do to shore up key needs on the roster. After overhauling the offensive line last offseason, the focus shifts to the defensive line, which is the biggest concern, as well as safety and left tackle. But there's some work to be done with the salary cap before the start of the new league year as Chicago is currently a projected $4.11 million over the cap. After three straight years of top-10 picks, the Bears will have to wait to pick in the latter part of the first round (No. 25) in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going position by position to break down where Chicago stands entering the 2026 offseason. Next up is the offensive line, which has only one question mark this offseason at left tackle with Ozzy Trapilo expected to miss most of the 2026 season.

Who's on the roster?

• Joe Thuney
• Darnell Wright
• Drew Dalman
• Jonah Jackson
• Ozzy Trapilo
• Theo Benedet
• Luke Newman
• Kiran Amegadjie

The Bears had four new starters along the offensive line in 2025, and they revamped interior paved the way to success for quarterback Caleb Williams, running backs D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai and the entire offense. Chicago acquired All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney and right guard Jonah Jackson via trades while signing center Drew Dalman in free agency. Second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo stepped into the left tackle role midway through the season, where he served as a bookend opposite right tackle Darnell Wright, who continues to ascend. The Bears allowed a league-low 25 sacks during the season (including the playoffs) and had the third-best rushing attack in the league averaging nearly 150 yards on the ground per game. Thuney and Dalman earned Pro Bowl nods while Thuney also was named First-Team All-Pro and won the NFL's inaugural Protector of the Year award. While Trapilo will miss most of the 2026 season, after rupturing his patellar tendon in the postseason, Chicago returns four starting offensive linemen.

While the Bears had one of the best starting offensive lines in the league, they also had some solid depth, including a few faces set to return in 2026. Sixth-round interior lineman Luke Newman didn't see the field much (he did step in at right guard for Jackson for a short time early in the season), but he'll have another year to develop with offensive line coach Dan Roushar. Kiran Amegadjie spent most of the season on injured reserve, but he'll be in the battle for that left tackle spot alongside Theo Benedet, who was just re-signed as an exclusive rights free agent.

Who's slated to hit free agency?

• Braxton Jones
• Ryan Bates
• Jordan McFadden

Braxton Jones started the 2025 season as the starting left tackle before his declining play and injury resulted in him being benched in favor of Theo Benedet, who was eventually usurped by rookie Ozzy Trapilo. Jones, a former fifth-round pick, has been a great value pick for Chicago serving as a three-year starter before losing favor with the team in 2025. While it was easy to expect the Bears to let Jones walk, Trapilo's injury has certainly changed things and they could opt to bring back Jones on a short-term deal while Trapilo recovers. Ryan Bates was acquired from the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a fourth-round pick, and he's been one of Ryan Poles' biggest mistakes. Bates failed to carve out a starting role for himself in two years, and he sat on the bench as a reserve for 2025. Jordan McFadden has the best chance to be re-signed of this free-agent group given what he brings as depth to the interior offensive line. When Joe Thuney kicked over to left tackle, after Trapilo's injury, McFadden slotted into left guard and didn't miss a beat. While getting a good starting five in place is important, those depth pieces are equally important.

Who might join the Bears?

The Bears have one glaring need on the offensive line, and that's left tackle. While they could certainly add depth at other positions along the line, left tackle will be a focal point. The 2026 NFL Draft could be an opportunity to address the position for the long-term, but there are some veteran options for Chicago if they believe Trapilo is the guy moving forward, and Ryan Poles indicated they expect Trapilo to return healthy. There's not a lot of top options at left tackle in free agency, where Green Bay Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker is considered the top option. One in-house option for the Bears is bringing back Braxton Jones. Another option that might become possible is All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, whose current negotiations with the San Francisco 49ers could make both parties go their separate ways. If that were to happen, Williams should become the top target for Chicago (among other teams).

Position need: Moderate

The Bears overhauled the entire interior offensive line last offseason, alongside right tackle Darnell Wright, and the results were impactful allowing a league-low 25 sacks and paving the way for the third-best rushing attack. For a minute, it looked like the offensive line wouldn't be a concern after rookie Ozzy Trapilo stepped in and showed promise at left tackle. But Trapilo suffered a ruptured patellar tendon that will sideline him for most of the 2026 season. Now, Chicago has an important hole to address at left tackle, where they could turn internally (Theo Benedet or Kiran Amegadjie), re-sign Braxton Jones, turn to free agency for a veteran or even draft a tackle. Still, having four spots locked down on the offensive line is big for the Bears heading into 2026.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears 2026 offseason preview: Where Chicago stands at offensive line

Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz is entering his third season with the organization, and this free agency period is of utmost importance.

There has been much success in the last two years under Hortiz and head coach Jim Harbaugh, but they have yet to add a playoff win to their resume. The team has over $87 million in cap space this offseason, and if they play their cards right, can assemble a serious contender.

The Bolts have shown flashes of brilliance, such as their 3-0 start in 2025. But the last two playoff berths have resulted in first-round exits.

That needs to change in 2026 and it's unclear what route Hortiz will take in free agency.

The Athletic's Daniel Popper provided some insight on Hortiz's philosophy and what role he will play for the team in the coming weeks.

"They have the resources to be aggressive and show some urgency in the roster build. Some in the league are watching to see if Hortiz sticks to his philosophy, which he honed over 26 years working in the Baltimore Ravens front office. Or if he adapts. This tradeoff is central to so many of the decisions the Chargers will make in the coming weeks," Popper writes.

With the second-most effective cap space in the league, the Chargers can afford to shake things up and the 2026 season is the perfect time to do just that. They looked like serious contenders at the start of last season, but fizzled out down the stretch.

Now, Hortiz will have to build a roster that can withstand the playoffs as the Chargers look to make a deep postseason run. Will he be aggressive in spending to make it happen, though? Only time will tell.

This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Will Joe Hortiz stick to free agency philosophy or shake things up?