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Braves' Strider goes 5 in return; Blue Jays fan 19
TORONTO -- Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider allowed two runs and five hits in five-plus innings in his return to the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon.
Making his first big league appearance in 376 days because of surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, Strider struck out five, walked one and hit a batter in the 3-1 loss. He threw 97 pitches, 58 for strikes.
Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt (2-0) struck out a season-high 10 and allowed three hits -- all singles -- as Toronto set a single-game, nine-inning franchise record with 19 strikeouts. Bassitt lowered his ERA to 0.77 through four starts.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two of the five hits off Strider, including an RBI single in the third inning and a solo home run into the second deck on a full-count slider in the sixth. The homer -- a 412-foot drive -- was Guerrero's first of the season.
"For me, didn't do a good job of executing with two strikes," Strider said. "Felt like my off-speed [pitches] didn't have a lot of conviction, a lot of consistency. That makes it hard to pitch."
Strider followed that by walking Anthony Santander, and Braves manager Brian Snitker immediately replaced Strider with left-hander Dylan Lee.
"My job isn't to come back and have a moment and all that," Strider said. "That's not how I look at it. I'm here to help the team."
Strider struck out Bo Bichette on three pitches to begin the game. His hardest pitch was a 98 mph fastball to Guerrero in the first.
Strider struck out Myles Straw to strand runners at second and third to end the second.
"He's extremely important to our club and especially to our rotation," Snitker said. "It's good to have him back. I think as he's out there, he's going to get stronger. He's got some moxie about him and competitiveness. He's going to be fine."
The Braves activated Strider off the injured list Wednesday morning and optioned right-handed reliever Zach Thompson to Triple-A.
Atlanta has gone 5-6 since starting 0-7 and has yet to win back-to-back games. The Braves are 2-11 on the road.
"We're not in a great position at the moment," Strider said. "That's fine. It's still early in the season. People want to doubt us, that's great. Bring it on."
Strider's return could give the Braves a big lift. He went 20-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 2023, finishing with a major league-best 281 strikeouts in 186 innings and placing fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting.
Strider, 26, last appeared in the majors on April 5, 2024, against the Diamondbacks in Atlanta. He made two starts last season before undergoing surgery.
Strider struck out 13 in 5 innings in a dominant rehab start at Triple-A last Thursday, allowing one run and three hits. He threw 90 pitches, 62 for strikes and reached 97 mph with his fastball.
Cheika 'puts line through' Martin for rest of season
Injuries have meant that Martin has played almost as often for England this season as he has for Tigers.
The combative forward featured in five of their opening 11 Premiership games before the Six Nations, and also in two European Champions Cup group games in that time.
Martin's form for club and country in recent years, including a start for England in their 2023 World Cup semi-final defeat by South Africa having largely been used from the bench during the competition, has linked him with a potential first British and Irish Lions call-up, external for the coming summer.
While Cheika was open about Martin's unlikely involvement with Tigers for what remains of the season, the Australian would not be drawn on how it might impact his Lions' hopes.
"I don't know about that bit," Cheika added. "I'd rather just talk about Leicester and [you] make your own conclusions off the back of that. The important thing is for him to recover at this stage."
While third-placed Tigers may not have Martin for what remains of the campaign, fellow England international Ollie Chessum is edging closer to making his first appearance since the Six Nations.
"Ollie has been involved these last few weeks, and we started getting him involved a bit more today," Cheika said.
"I think off the back of what we see tomorrow we'll get a good picture of whether he'll be available this week. The same with Julian Montoya. Tommy Reffell is the most active of all of them."
Tigers are next in action on Sunday away to second-placed Bristol Bears.
NEW YORK Genesis Magma Racing unveiled its full-scale GMR-001 Hypercar and team identity, including livery and race suits, marking a bold step in the brands global motorsport ambitions.
The global reveal of the GMR-001 Hypercar ahead of the New York International Auto Show lays the groundwork for the teams 2026 WEC debut.
Building on Genesis signature Athletic Elegance design philosophy, the GMR-001 Hypercar and its striking livery embody the brands commitment to blending Korean heritage with motorsport innovation, setting a new standard for creativity on the global racing stage.
At the heart of Genesis Magma Racings ambitions lies the GMR-001 Hypercar, a vehicle that translates Genesis design philosophy into raw racing potential. Inspired by the brands Magma performance line-up, the GMR-001 Hypercar combines aerodynamic precision with sculptural fluidity, balancing elegance and aggression.
The GMR-001 Hypercar features Genesis signature Two-Line lighting, wrapping horizontally around the front and rear to emphasize width and aerodynamic intent. The inclusion of the design ensures visual brand consistency with Genesis road-car range, without comprising the nighttime visibility vital in endurance racing.
The GMR-001 Hypercars bodywork, crafted at Genesis Design Europe under Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke, features a sweeping Parabolic Line along the side profile.
A flat underbody plate supports aerodynamic efficiency, while carefully integrated inlets extract hot air to enhance thermal performance.
While final specifications remain under wraps, the GMR-001 Hypercars hybrid powertrain and chassis developed in partnership with ORECA Motorsport promise to deliver highly competitive performance and speed.
The GMR-001 Hypercar, like every race car, is a sculpture designed by the constraints of efficiency and performance combined with the design DNA of Genesis the brand with the Two Lines said Luc Donckerwolke, Chief Creative Officer of Genesis. The livery is an orchestration of the tension and balance of the distinctly Korean character of the brand with gradients from Magma orange to dark red emphasizing the high temperature of the powertrain. And the color gradients from light to dark of the Magma writing in Hangeul is an optical doppler effect that expresses the glorious sound of the V-8 Twin Turbo engine in motion.
The GMR-001 Hypercars livery marries intensity with subtlety, dominated by the signature Magma orangea hue symbolizing Koreas vibrant energy.
Today marks a significant milestone for Genesis Magma Racing as we unveil the GMR-001 Hypercar, along with our striking livery and race suits, said Cyril Abiteboul, team principal of Genesis Magma Racing. As we gear up for our 2026 WEC and 2027 IMSA campaigns, we are not merely assembling a race team; we are forging a legacy. Each day brings us one step closer to realizing the full potential of Genesis in the world of motorsports.
Complementing the GMR-001 Hypercar, the Genesis Magma Racing teams race suits feature the brands signature Two-Line visual in combination with G-Matrix graphics. The suits design reinforces the connection between driver, machine, and brand identity.
Wearing these suits are the individuals tasked with bringing Genesis Magma Racings vision to life on track the driver roster includes three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner André Lotterer and Luis Pipo Derani a four-time victor at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, both playing a central role in shaping the teams performance ahead of its WEC debut.
Putting on the race suit made me realize how exciting this opportunity is, said André Lotterer, Genesis Magma Racing driver. This suit is more than just a uniform; it shows Genesis commitment to great design and performance. You can feel the pride in every detail. Competing for Genesis Magma Racing is a real honor, and I cant wait to push the GMR-001 Hypercar to its limits at famous tracks like Le Mans, Daytona, and more.
Endurance racing represents the pinnacle of motorsport a test of speed, strategy, and sustainability. Genesis Magma Racing embraces this challenge through its Hyperspeed ethos, a philosophy rooted in Koreas relentless drive for progress and mirrored in the brands audacious design and engineering.
Genesis Magma Racing has already begun its competitive journey in the 2025 European Le Mans Series with an LMP2 (Le Mans Prototype 2) entry supported by IDEC Sport, featuring two drivers, Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert, from the Genesis Magma Racing Trajectory Program.
At the opening round of the season, the 4 Hours of Barcelona, the team, completed by Daniel Juncadella scored a sensational win on debut in the LMP2 class. The Trajectory Program and the ELMS entry lay the groundwork for Genesis Magma Racing, backed by Hyundai Motorsports championship-winning expertise, to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2026 and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2027.
MALTA, N.Y. Nestled off New Yorks U.S. Route 9, just outside Saratoga Springs, lies a hidden gem thats been in operation for six decades.
When the Super DIRTcar Series visits Albany-Saratoga Speedway on Friday, April 18, itll help begin the tracks 60th year with the 60th Anniversary Celebration.
But before the 2025 season starts for the Great Race Place, the facility has endured 59 years of triumphs and heartbreaks on pavement and dirt. This weekends opener serves as the beginning of a trip down memory lane that will last all season, according to track promoter Lyle DeVore.
We plan to honor our heroes from the 60s when the track first opened as an asphalt track to the current time when many consider Albany-Saratoga one of the best dirt tracks in the country, DeVore said. We have a storied history that has produced not just local champions like Kenny Tremont, Brett Hearn, CD Coville, and Jack Johnson but has also been the birthplace of NASCAR greats like Richie Evans, Jerry Cook, Bugs Stevens, and Pete Hamilton to name a few.
While todays fans embrace the tracks dirt surface, things were different when the four-tenths-mile opened in 1965. The facility was a pavement track from 1965 to 1977, hosting grassroots racing events every Friday, including the NASCAR Modified division.
Those winners included Evans, Stevens and Cook. But it also included names like Andy Romano, Lou Lazzaro, Dave Lape and Maynard Forrette, who became identifiable throughout New Yorks Capital Region.
While those names are etched into the tracks history, Bill Greco will stay in history as the tracks inaugural winner on July 16, 1965.
NASCARs top series visited the track twice in the early 70s and saw Richard Petty win both races. The King passed Bobby Allison with four laps to go to win in 1970 and backed up his win a year later, beating Dave Marcis by two laps.
The first pavement era at Albany-Saratoga ended in 1977 when Vermonts C.J. Richards bought the track and put dirt down to make the Speedway part of the Champlain Valley Racing Assn.
It wasnt long before the top names in dirt modified racing reached Victory Lane, as four-time Super DIRTcar Series champion Will Cagle was one of the first to win in 1977, and three-time series champion Jack Johnson wasnt far behind. The first year of dirt was also the first appearance for the Super DIRTcar Series when Win Slavin, who lived in nearby Troy, N.Y., earned his lone Series win that August.
When the track moved into the 80s, it was time for more legends of Northeast Modified racing to reach victory lane. Names like Billy Pauch Sr. and Kenny Brightbill earned wins, along with Capital Region legends like C.D. Coville and Kenny Tremont, who would be part of one of the tracks great rivalries. However, like in the 70s, it wasnt just the local stars who got in on the fun at the Great Race Place.
Richards put together the Super Star Shootout, where NASCAR Cup Series stars battled in dirt modifieds. Those events included drivers like Michael Waltrip, Sterling Marlin, Jimmy Spencer and Ernie Irvin.
When the 1990s came along, it was highlighted by a dominant run by Kenny Tremont, who won six straight track championships from 1994-1999. But while the Sand Lake Slingshot was winning titles, he dealt with two of the best drivers to ever sit in a modified every week.
Along with Jack Johnson, who won 90 races at the track, Tremont battled with 10-time Super DIRTcar Series champion Brett Hearn, who won his first of 136 Features on May 27, 1994. Those three continued their battles into the 2000s and currently sit in the top three on the tracks all-time wins list.
After back-to-back track titles by Dave Camara in 2000 and 2001, Tremont and Hearn traded wins and championships from 2002 until 2009, when the dirt was scraped off, leading to its second pavement era in 2010 and 2011.
However, that didnt change the results. Tremont outlasted Marc Johnson and Mike Bruno to earn his 12th championship in 2010, and his only title on the pavement. After one more year with Sportsman as the headline division, changes were made following the 2011 season.
C.J. Richards called Howard Commander, the Promoter at Lebanon Valley Speedway, about taking over the track. And he did just that. But who Commander put in charge set the stage for the tracks growth over the last decade and a half.
That position went to Lyle DeVore, whose first job at the speedway was picking up trash at the track at 7 years old. DeVores takeover of the promotional reigns wasnt the only change in the 2012 season. It also marked the return of a dirt surface.
After a two-night opening weekend with wins by Tim McCreadie and Stewart Friesen, the racing was reminiscent of the 1990s and 2000s. Tremont and Hearn continued their rivalry, including a back-and-forth battle that earned Tremont his 13th and final title in 2015.
The 2016 season began a changing of the guard in the Big Block Modifieds, as Marc Johnson outdueled Hearn for his first championship, followed by Peter Brittens first championship in 2017. Batmans title reign started a streak of seven different track champions until 2024 when Britten earned his second championship. Hearn also added one more championship in that stretch, giving the Jersey Jet eight titles.
While the weekly racing has thrived, DeVore, who was named the Racing Promotion Monthlys 47th annual Promoter of the Year in 2022, had an idea for something even bigger in 2019. That was the inaugural Malta Massive Weekend, an event showcasing all the tracks weekly divisions, capped off by the Super DIRTcar Series in the finale.
Except for 2020, the event has grown each year and will again cap off the tracks 2025 season with a 100-lap Super DIRTcar Series event. But before the sixth Malta Massive Weekend begins, the track will celebrate its 60th year from April to September. And in Lyle DeVore fashion, he wanted to kick off Albany-Saratogas Diamond Anniversary with something different.
Our staff has been working diligently, and a lot of planning has gone into this event to make it memorable for everyone walking through the front gate, DeVore said. This is a jump start to the whole season for the speedway, and our goal is to offer our fans what we do best and present another great race!
Im really excited about kicking off our 60th anniversary season with one of the opening Super DIRTcar Series events for 2025. Ive heard from several teams, and we expect a stellar field of cars to be on hand. The field will include drivers from several states and Canada wanting to etch their names in our record book.
Kane: Penalty style inspired by Neymar, Balotelli
Harry Kane has said he adapted his penalty-taking technique after watching Brazilian forward Neymar and other high-profile spot-kick specialists.
The England captain said he used to go for power and precision but now tries to spot an early move from the goalkeeper before taking a penalty.
"There's quite a few players over the years who have taken penalties like that," the Bayern Munich forward told TNT Sports Brasil.
"I think [some players] pop into my head, [Mario] Balotelli was like this, Neymar was like this. There have been players that wait for the keeper before they hit it. That was never something I used to do, I used to go for more power and precision."
Kane, 31, missed a crucial penalty in England's 2022 World Cup quarterfinal defeat to France, lifting his kick high and wide in the closing stages after converting a spot-kick earlier in the second half.
"When I missed that penalty in the World Cup I felt like there was something that I can change, especially if you take two penalties in a game," he said. "It's something I wanted to try to improve on. Thankfully, it's been good since."
Kane has scored 34 goals in 41 games across all competitions for league leaders Bayern this season.
He is the top scorer in the Bundesliga with 23 goals and has converted all of his nine penalties in the competition.
"I'm always trying to find little ways to get better," he said. "That [penalty taking] is one of them. For sure it's helped my penalties since. I'm obviously on a good run. I just have to keep doing what I'm doing."
Carlos Tevez wants former teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to take part in his farewell game in Buenos Aires.
While a date has not been set, Tevez, who retired from football in 2022 after a successful career in the Premier League and Serie A, has begun to plan for the big day.
In an interview on streaming platform Olga, Tevez said: "Yes, I'm going to do it [farewell game]. I probably will do it. We just have to figure out when. It's not easy."
Asked if Messi and Ronaldo, who have won a combined 13 Ballon d'Ors, would play on different teams in the farewell game, Tevez said: "We'll get them together."
The farewell game is most likely to be played at Boca's home, La Bombonera stadium.
When asked about convincing Ronaldo, the ex-Boca Juniors star said: "I'll go get him myself."
Tevez played together with Messi in Argentina's national team from 2005 until 2015.
Alongside Ronaldo at Manchester United, Tevez won six titles, including two Premier League trophies and one Champions League.
Tevez, 41, says has kept in touch with both football icons.
Since hanging up his boots, Tevez has coached Argentinian sides Rosario Central and Independiente but is now without a club.
André Onana will return to the Manchester United team for their crucial Europa League clash against Lyon, head coach Ruben Amorim has confirmed.
Onana was omitted for the 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday after making two errors in the first game against Lyon last week.
But the goalkeeper will return for the second leg at Old Trafford on Thursday, replacing No. 2 Altay Bayindir.
Joshua Zirkzee will miss the game against the Ligue 1 side after being ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury picked up at St. James' Park.
"Onana will play tomorrow," Amorim said. "I just think first of all as a coach and also as a former player, I try to do things that can help a player in this situation.
"So sometimes we talk about managing players physically, we have to manage them also mentally but they have to return to competition.
"Onana is ready, he had one weekend that I felt it was better for him to not play and a good thing for Altay to play and this week my thinking was to put Onana to play."
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Amorim was also asked whether he could look to sign a new goalkeeper ahead of next season.
"We need to improve every position on the field, goalkeeper is the same," Amorim said.
"We can work with André. Andre Onana already proved he is a top player with Inter. Altay the same with Fenerbahce. We are going to make that evaluation for any position in the squad. You can see my record. My record is the worst in the team. I am also underperforming."
The tie against Lyon is finely balanced after the 2-2 draw in France.
Zirkzee came off the bench to score at Groupama Stadium, but will miss the return fixture after suffering a hamstring problem in the second half against Newcastle.
Amorim confirmed the 23-year-old will not play again this season, leaving Rasmus Hojlund as the only recognised senior striker in the squad.
Hojlund is enduring a difficult campaign with just eight goals in 43 games.
"Joshua is out for the season," Amorim said. "He will not play more this season, let's prepare him for the next one. It is tough for him especially in this moment.
"He is improving in all aspects and it is hard for any player to stop."
Despite languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table, United could still finish the season with a trophy and a place in next season's Champions League if they win the Europa League.
Victory over Lyon would set up a semifinal against either Athletic Club or Rangers.
Winning the competition would give Amorim a vital boost going into the summer and the Portuguese coach has admitted that playing in the Champions League would change what the club can do in the next transfer window.
"It is more about the budget," he said. "That is important when you are planning the next season. Champions League can change everything. You can see it both ways. If you have Champions League it is going to be tough to play against top teams on Wednesday and then top teams in the Premier League.
"We are in the moment when the team needs a lot of work, that means a lot of time to train. We want to win the title, that is the most important thing. If you don't have Champions League you have full weeks to rebuild the team."
Ian Darke's Premier League stars of the season: Salah, Isak, more
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah will surely walk away with both glittering prizes for being the top player in the 2024-25 Premier League season. But are there are other serious contenders?
You can expect Salah, currently top of the charts with 27 league goals and 18 assists through 32 games, to collect the PFA Player of the Year award (as voted for by his fellow professionals), and also the historic Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year trophy (awarded by the nation's football writers and first won by the legendary Stanley Matthews in 1948.)
Perhaps things can change in the last month of the season when the trophies are handed out, but in truth, it's been an entertaining, up-and-down season in which only a chosen few have consistently sprinkled stardust on proceedings. Chelsea forward Cole Palmer, for instance, started the season sensationally, but suffered a dip in form after Christmas.
So here goes with my short list of the season's star players:
1. Mohamed Salah, FW, Liverpool
Quicksilver reactions and scoring instincts have been Salah's hallmark and he has often produced match-winning or -saving moments just when his team needed him to. He has 32 goals and 23 assists in all competitions (46 games), and now that his contract has been extended another two years, the mood at Anfield is buoyant to say the least. The Egypt international turns 33 in the summer, but seems to still be in mint condition. It'll be a treat for us to see what he can do next year and beyond.
2. Alexander Isak, FW, Newcastle United
Balletic and deadly, the 24-goal Sweden international has been almost unstoppable at times and fittingly scored a superb goal at Wembley as Newcastle lifted their first domestic trophy in 70 years when they won the Carabao Cup against Liverpool. His transfer cost 63 million from Real Sociedad in 2022 and would be worth at least double that now. Isak would be a target for most top European clubs if he became available, which is why it's important for Newcastle to offer him Champions League football next season.
3. Nikola Milenkovic, DF, Nottingham Forest
His transfer from Fiorentina only cost around 12m in the summer of 2024, but he has proven to be a key component in the Forest success story. He and young Brazil international Murillo have been the rocks on which opposition attacks founder, sparking the swift counterattacks which have helped to lift the unsung outsiders into a dizzy third place in the table. Others like prolific striker Chris Wood and playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White could easily have made this list, but Milenkovic has been monumental.
4. Morgan Rogers, MF, Aston Villa
Once a part of Manchester City's academy, but unable to break into the first team, Rogers has blossomed into a dynamic attacking midfield player who is never happier than when running dangerously at the heart of anxious defenses. One of the great bargains of recent years, his transfer cost an initial 8m from Middlesbrough at the end of the 2024 winter window and he has delivered 14 goals and 10 assists in 46 games (all competitions) as Villa have stormed into the last eight of the Champions League and reached the FA Cup semifinals. He is very much part of the England scene as well now.
5. Milos Kerkez, DF, Bournemouth
Kerkez's raids from left-back have been a trademark of Bournemouth's fine season. The Cherries signed him from AZ Alkmaar in 2023, when Richard Hughes was doing the recruiting, and Hughes is now at Liverpool, so there would be no surprise if the excellent Hungary international turned up at Anfield next season in a 45m deal.
6. Virgil van Dijk, DF, Liverpool
He had a rare off-day in the recent defeat at Fulham, but the Liverpool captain has been the best defender in the Premier League for a few years now and that has not changed at age of 33. He looks in cruise control on the field and is a fine ambassador off it. Liverpool have never invested 75m better than when they brought in the Netherlands international from Southampton in January 2018.
7. Carlos Baleba, MF, Brighton
The highly impressive 21-year-old Cameroon international is the latest midfield powerhouse to emerge at Brighton and rarely misses a game. Like Alexis Mac Allister, Moisés Caicedo and Yves Bissouma before him, his transfer will represent a sizable profit when he eventually leaves as he arrived from Lille for just 23.2m in 2023. He could be a summer target for some heavy hitters higher up the league table.
Ian Darke explains why Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly made his list of the top Premier League players of the season, and predicts an even brighter future for the young star.
8. Myles Lewis-Skelly, DF/MF, Arsenal
Nobody outside Arsenal had heard of him a few months ago and those who had saw him play mostly as a central midfielder. Now the 18-year-old academy graduate is a fixture for his club and looks like he might be England's left-back for the next decade. Like midfielder Ethan Nwaneri, who has also had a breakout season for the Gunners, Lewis-Skelly has been a revelation and could end up following in the footsteps of Ashley Cole.
9. Ryan Gravenberch, MF, Liverpool
On the fringes of the Liverpool team under Jurgen Klopp last season, the Netherlands international had been an attacking midfielder when he moved from Ajax for 34.3m in 2023, but has made himself indispensable in the deep-lying No. 6 role at Anfield under Arne Slot. He has been the complete package this campaign, breaking up opposition attacks and finding progressive passes to get his side moving forward.
10. Dan Burn, DF, Newcastle
One of the best stories of the season, Burn was stacking supermarket shelves and playing non-league football for Darlington in 2011, but he battled his way up the pyramid and moved to Fulham, then Wigan and Brighton, before landing at Newcastle for 13m in 2022. The 6-foot-7 defender was usually positioned at centre-back but converted to left-back and scored a classic header in Newcastle's Carabao Cup triumph last month (to end the club's 70-year wait for a domestic trophy) and won his first England cap a few days later. He gets in this top 10 on that basis alone.
Also in consideration:
Bruno Fernandes (MF, Man United)
Marco Asensio (MF, Aston Villa, on loan from Real Madrid)
Youri Tielemans (MF, Aston Villa)
Chris Wood (FW, Nottingham Forest)
Morgan Gibbs-White (MF, Nottingham Forest)
Matz Sels (GK, Nottingham Forest)
Ola Aina (DF, Nottingham Forest)
Moises Caicedo (MF, Chelsea)
Cole Palmer (FW, Chelsea)
Liam Delap (FW, Ipswich)
Jean-Philippe Mateta (FW, Crystal Palace)
Antonee Robinson (DF, Fulham)
Bruno Guimarães (MF, Newcastle United)
Jordan Pickford (GK, Everton)
Bryan Mbeumo (FW, Brentford)
Mikkel Damsgaard (MF, Brentford)
Christian Norgaard (MF, Brentford)
Condon to enter NBA draft, keep NCAA eligibility
Fresh off winning the national championship, Florida sophomore Alex Condon told ESPN that he will enter the 2025 NBA draft while maintaining his NCAA eligibility.
"This was a surreal season," Condon said Wednesday. "There was so much depth on this team, and we all played unselfishly. A lot of guys stepped up in big moments. We had a great team, and that's the reason we won the championship."
Condon, the No. 29 prospect in ESPN's NBA draft projections, was named third-team All-SEC after averaging 10.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 blocks in 24.9 minutes per game.
He helped Florida to a 36-4 record, including 12 straight wins to end the season to both secure the SEC tournament title and cut down the nets in San Antonio. He had a memorable performance in what might be the final game of his college career, posting 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals in a win over Houston, diving on the floor for a loose ball in the final seconds to seal the 65-63 victory.
"That was a crazy play," Condon said. "Walt [Clayton Jr.] did a great job of getting out on [Emanuel] Sharp to deny his 3-pointer. The whole stadium paused because no one knew what was happening. I saw a Houston player running over to try and make a play to win it, so I did what I do best. Dive on the floor and get it back to Walt until time ran out. It was all based on instincts."
The Perth, Australia-born big man was an afterthought in Florida's 2024 high school recruiting class, a late bloomer who started playing serious organized basketball at the age of 16. Prior to that, he favored cricket, water polo and especially Australian Rules Football.
"My parents put me in a lot of sports," Condon said. "That was good for developing my hand-eye coordination. Playing football helped me develop my toughness. I didn't come to Florida with too many expectations. The coaching staff bet on me, and I wanted to reward them by playing as hard as I could. Coach [Todd] Golden gave me the opportunity to play as a freshman, which helped my transition to this year, where I played with more confidence and became an important part of the team."
Condon carved out a real role as a freshman, but he emerged as arguably Florida's most important player as a sophomore, a significant conduit in its continuity ball-screen offense with his ability to be a playmaker out of dribble handoffs, allowing them to invert the offense and put multiple big men on the floor. While he didn't always post huge scoring numbers, his strong feel for the game was evident with the way he passes and plugs gaps defensively off the ball, while his nonstop intensity running the floor and crashing the offensive glass set the tone for teammates.
"We play through the bigs at Florida," Condon said. "My job is to get the ball to our guards and then crush the glass. My defense is NBA-ready. I already know how to switch ball-screens and stay in front of smaller guards, which you need to do in the NBA. I still have a lot of room for improvement, especially offensively. Most guys have been playing a lot longer than me. The next thing I need to tap into is my shooting. I shoot very well in drills but need to transfer that to games. If I come back to school, I will shoot it with more confidence."
Condon has until May 28 to decide whether to withdraw his name from the draft. Should he remove his name at the deadline, he says he will return to Florida next season.
"There's no way I could go to any other school," Condon said. "If I have confirmation from NBA teams that I'm in the 15-30 range, if something is guaranteed, I will consider keeping my name in. I have a great situation at Florida. It would have to be something pretty special, my family would have to agree that we can't turn that down."
The NBA draft combine will be held in Chicago from May 11-18.
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.
Trump administration sues Maine over trans ban
WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration said Wednesday it is suing Maine's education department for not complying with the government's push to ban transgender athletes in girls' sports, escalating a dispute over whether the state is abiding by a federal law that bars discrimination in education based on sex.
The lawsuit follows weeks of feuding between the Republican administration and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills that has led to threats to cut off crucial federal funding and a clash at the White House when she told the president: "We'll see you in court."
"We are going to continue to fight for women," Attorney General Pam Bondi said at a news conference alongside former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who has emerged as a public face of the opposition to transgender athletes.
Trump's departments of Education and Health and Human Services have said the Maine agency is violating the federal Title IX antidiscrimination law by allowing transgender girls to participate on girls' teams.
The lawsuit reflects a stark philosophical turnabout from the position on gender identity issues taken during Democratic administrations.
Under President Joe Biden, the government tried to extend civil rights policies to protect transgender people. In 2016, the Justice Department, then led by Attorney General Loretta Lynch, sued North Carolina over a law that required transgender people to use public restrooms and showers that corresponded the gender on their birth certificate.
Maine officials have refused to agree with a settlement that would have banned transgender students from sports, arguing that the law does not prevent schools from letting transgender athletes participate.
Trump signed an executive order in February, "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports," that gave federal agencies wide latitude to ensure entities that receive federal funding abide by Title IX in alignment with his administration's interpretation of "sex" as the gender someone was assigned at birth.
Trump was joined at the signing of that order by Gaines and other female athletes who were in support of a ban. Gaines tied with a transgender athlete for fifth place in a 2022 NCAA championship and has testified before lawmakers across the country on the issue. She and others frame the issue as women's rights.
During a February meeting with governors, Trump threatened to pull federal funding from Maine if the state did not comply with his executive order. Mills responded: "We'll see you in court."
Maine sued the administration this month after the Department of Agriculture said it was pausing some money for the state's educational programs because of what the administration contended was Maine's failure to comply with the Title IX law. A federal judge on Friday ordered the administration to unfreeze funds intended for a Maine child nutrition program.
Sarah Foster, Maine's assistant attorney general, said last week in a letter to the Education Department that nothing in the law "prohibits schools from allowing transgender girls and women to participate on girls' and women's sports teams."
Questions over the rights of transgender people have become a major political issue in the past five years.
Twenty-six states have laws or policies barring transgender girls from girls' school sports. GOP-controlled states have also been banning gender-affirming health care for transgender minors and restricting bathroom use in schools and sometimes other public buildings.
In his 2024 race, Trump campaigned against the participation of transgender athletes in sports. As president, he has signed executive orders to do that and to use a rigid definition of the sexes, rather than gender, for federal government purposes. The orders are being challenged in court.
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