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4-year deal puts Noah Cates in the right frame of mind

There’s nothing like a little job security to change a hockey player’s perspective. Less than a year ago, the Flyers’ Noah Cates wasn’t even in the opening night lineup for a game at the Vancouver Canucks. But Cates didn’t let the slight get to him. Instead, he kept working at his game, eventually returned to […]

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There’s nothing like a little job security to change a hockey player’s perspective.

Less than a year ago, the Flyers’ Noah Cates wasn’t even in the opening night lineup for a game at the Vancouver Canucks.

But Cates didn’t let the slight get to him.

Instead, he kept working at his game, eventually returned to action and later found himself centering one of the team’s most effective two-way lines with Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster.

Cates, who finished last season as a restricted free agent, was recently rewarded for his efforts with a new four-year, $16-million contract.

The 26-year-old Minnesota native can finally stop holding his breath when it comes to a hockey career with the Flyers.

During a media Zoom call on Wednesday, Cates talked about how things have improved of late, both for him and the team as it continues its rebuild.

“I think it (the contract) is a great term in terms of kind of where I will be at,” Cates said. “Prime years for me to get to free agency (age 30). It’s knowing I’ll be in Philly for the next four years, having a bit of a runway of where we want to go and where we want to be.

“So it’s super exciting. It’s a great contract and I’m super excited for it.”

Cates’ 14 goals last season were a career high. He also finished a plus-3, which was second in plus/minus rating among the team’s forwards to Garnet Hathaway’s plus-5.

With that performance, Cates sort of turned the corner on his NHL career. There’s no more “identity crisis” to worry about.

“Just starting the season off getting scratched, it’s not where I wanted to be after (that) last (2023-24) season,” Cates said. “Just kept my head down, found my game and the effective way I can play. Doing it consistently for most of the season was great, which set me up for this contract and the future.

“Super happy that I believed in myself. I know what I am as a player and where I’m at. Just sticking with it turned out to be the best thing for me.”

Cates disclosed he recently spoke briefly with new head coach Rick Tocchet. There’s a good chance these two will hit it off because Cates is such a responsible player who constantly thinks team first.

“He’s an energetic guy and excited to have him,” Cates said.

It should be noted that Cates was a fifth-round draft pick, so he was a bit of a long shot to establish an NHL career. He played four years of college hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth so it’s a feel-good story.

“Coming into pro hockey, didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “I had my older brother (Jackson) doing it before me and he had been through a lot. First couple years he was kind of going up and down.

“For me to come in and prove what I can do, earn a nice contract – never really expected that when I was in college. To make it to the NHL, to be a big part of that (Flyers rebuild), I’ve been through a lot but I know what I am and what I can bring to the Flyers.”

Flyers’ NHL Draft Party set for AC

On Wednesday the team announced it will host a 2025 Draft Party in partnership with the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on Friday, June 27 from 6 to 10 p.m.

The party will feature appearances by Flyers governor Dan Hilfirty, head coach Rick Tocchet and alumni members Mark Recchi and Todd Fedoruk.

The Flyers have three first-round draft picks, including the No. 6 overall.

Guests will receive giveaways and can participate in raffles for autographed team and musician memorabilia.

Tickets are $6 per person with proceeds benefitting Flyers Charities. They can be purchased at am.ticketmaster.com.

www.flyingfishhockey.com 

 



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Randall Cobb, Tayshaun Prince headline 2025 Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame class | Sports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A record-setting wide receiver, an Olympic gold medalist, a trailblazing gymnastics judge and a history-making trap shooter will make up the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025. Four new members were announced Tuesday: Randall Cobb, a University of Kentucky football standout who played 13 seasons in the NFL Tayshaun […]

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A record-setting wide receiver, an Olympic gold medalist, a trailblazing gymnastics judge and a history-making trap shooter will make up the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

Four new members were announced Tuesday:

  • Randall Cobb, a University of Kentucky football standout who played 13 seasons in the NFL
  • Tayshaun Prince, a two-time Kentucky basketball All-American and NBA champion
  • Carole Liedtke, a longtime Louisville gymnastics coach and international judge
  • Nora Martin Ross, one of the most accomplished trap shooters in U.S. history

The group will be officially inducted on Sept. 23, 2025, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, home to the KSHOF’s enshrinement gallery.

“This class honors four exceptional individuals who represent a wide range of sports and occupations – each having made a major impact on sports in the Commonwealth and nationally,” Greg Fante, president and CEO of the Louisville Sports Commission, said in a news release Tuesday. “This year’s inductees have worked diligently to make a difference in their respective areas. And we are proud to celebrate their achievements in Freedom Hall, home of the KSHOF’s official enshrinement gallery.”

Meet the 2025 inductees:

RANDALL COBB

A do-it-all star at Kentucky, Cobb set SEC and UK records with 2,396 all-purpose yards in 2010 and finished his college career with 37 touchdowns and 4,674 total yards. Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round in 2011, he spent a decade with the team and caught over 600 passes for more than 7,600 yards and 54 touchdowns during a 13-year NFL career. Cobb was an All-Rookie pick in 2011 and a Pro Bowler in 2014.

TAYSHAUN PRINCE

Prince played four years at Kentucky from 1998–2002, earning SEC Player of the Year and All-American honors. He helped the Wildcats reach three Sweet 16s and one Elite Eight before being drafted by the Detroit Pistons. He won an NBA championship in 2004, earned four All-Defensive team honors and took home Olympic gold with Team USA in 2008. Prince now serves as an NBA executive and was part of the 2008 “Redeem Team” that entered the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2025.

CAROLE LIEDTKE

A Louisville native, Liedtke spent six decades involved in gymnastics as an athlete, coach and international judge. She led Moore High School to three state championships and helped guide the University of Louisville to six AIAW Nationals before NCAA championships existed for women. Liedtke judged competitions at the highest levels for 57 years, earning Brevet status, and ran a gymnastics school that inspired local youth in gymnastics, cheer and dance.

NORA MARTIN ROSS

Born in Paris, Ky., Ross began shooting trap at age 12 and went on to win more than 230 titles in Kentucky alone — and hundreds more across the U.S. In 1991, she became the first woman to win a Grand American Championship and is a 34-time ATA All-American. Widely regarded as the greatest female trap shooter since Annie Oakley, Ross was inducted into the National Trapshooting Hall of Fame in 1999.

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Copyright 2025 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.



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These N.J. hockey stars just participated in NHL development camps

Marlboro’s Justin Solovey sets up a run during a hockey game between Rumson-Fair Haven and Marlboro. Red Bank, NJ. Tuesday, February 18, 2020.David Gard | For NJ Advance Media While several current high school hockey players are in the middle of USA Hockey’s Development Camps, former stars received invitations to development camps for squads across […]

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Hockey: Marlboro vs. Rumson-Fair Haven. February 18, 2020
Marlboro’s Justin Solovey sets up a run during a hockey game between Rumson-Fair Haven and Marlboro. Red Bank, NJ. Tuesday, February 18, 2020.David Gard | For NJ Advance Media

While several current high school hockey players are in the middle of USA Hockey’s Development Camps, former stars received invitations to development camps for squads across the NHL.

Professional development camps typically take place over a few days at the end of June and early July.

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CBS Sports names the Top 25 worst head coach hires in college football since 2000

CBS Sports named the top 25 worst head coach hires in college football since 2000. So, over the last quarter century, these coaches made history. Just not for the right reasons. Whether it was poor decisions by the administration, catastrophic moves by the head coaches themselves, these could’ve been doomed from the start. Some of […]

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CBS Sports named the top 25 worst head coach hires in college football since 2000. So, over the last quarter century, these coaches made history. Just not for the right reasons.

Whether it was poor decisions by the administration, catastrophic moves by the head coaches themselves, these could’ve been doomed from the start. Some of these careers ended immediately after too!

Without further ado, let’s dive into CBS Sports’ list of coaches. We start with guys who actually never even coached a game!

T1. Mike Price, Alabama

Record: 0-0

Price, along with the next head coach on this list, didn’t even coach a game for Alabama. Coming over from Washington State, Price seemed like a bad fit from the jump.

He was eventually fired for inappropriate behavior at a charity golf tournament that involved strippers. A stark contrast to Nick Saban huh?

T1. Michael Haywood, Pittsburgh

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 0-0

Haywood didn’t coach a game for the Panthers either. At the time, he made a jump from Miami of Ohio to ACC football.

But, this didn’t last long as a few weeks later, Haywood was arrested and was hit with felony domestic violence charges. He was then replaced by Todd Graham, who just lasted one season as head coach at Pitt before going to Arizona State.

Record: 0-12

Johnson inherited a 12-2 team and promptly went 0-12 in his lone season as head coach of Southern Miss. Since his firing in 2012, the program only has six winning seasons, so perhaps the effects still linger.

Johnson’s moves included hiring a strength and conditioning coach that hadn’t worked in college football in 20 years. Just a huge swing and miss here.

Record: 4-18

Morris was already 14-22 at SMU before getting hired at Arkansas in 2017. Safe to say, the Razorbacks missed on this head coach.

Morris never won an SEC game during his time in Fayetteville, going 0-14 in conference. One of the worst hires within the last 25 years.

Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 6-22

Weiss didn’t work out as head coach at Notre Dame and his Kansas tenure, well, that wasn’t good either. He won just six games and went 1-18 in Big 12 play.

Over the course of two-and-a-half seasons, Weiss emphasized a JUCO approach as a recruiter, which was a little baffling at the time. The Jayhawks were hamstrung in terms of winning for a decade until current coach Lance Leipold came along.

Record: 11-37

Willingham was another failed Notre Dame head coach that got another Power Four job (or Power Five at the time) and it just didn’t work out. He never posted a winning record while with the Huskies.

It all came together, poorly anyway, during his final season in 2008. Willingham went 0-12 and hasn’t coached college football since. Funny enough, he was a member of the College Football Playoff committee in 2014, during its initial year. 

Record: 5-19

Pruitt’s tenure as head coach was a disaster considering the lack of wins and the scandals in the end. All of the wins from the 2019 and ‘20 were vacated, leaving him with just five during his time in Knoxville.

Pruitt received multi-year show-cause penalties for allegedly handing money to players in fast food bags. What an age we live in, right? Ultimately, Pruitt’s firing led to a fan revolt to not hire Greg Schiano, who ended up returning to Rutgers anyway, the firing of AD John Currie and just total chaos. Josh Heupel has steadied the ship since, but this was brutal.

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 3-18

Just when Kansas thought the program could be resurrected by a national title winning head coach, they were wrong. At the time, Miles was out of college football for two years after his time at LSU. 

Miles was let go after learning of an investigation into alleged inappropriate treatment of female students while at LSU. His Kansas tenure wasn’t great and never got off the ground as the game passed him by into a new era that we see today.

Record: 10-30

Former AD Pete Garcia opted to fire Mario Cristobal despite two straight bowl games and hire Turner as head coach. Safe to say, that was the wrong choice.

Turner hadn’t coached in a decade and was fired four games into his fourth season with the program. The win-loss record says it all.

Record: 15-21

The son of Vince Dooley didn’t quite have the resume of an elite head coach. Derek Dolley went 17-20 at Louisiana Tech and made just one bowl game before getting the job at Tennessee.

In the end, he led the Vols to its first back-to-back losing season in a century and the program was certainly set back for a while. It was a hire that simply had no chance.

Top 25 worst head coach hires since 2000

11. Greg Robinson, Syracuse
Record: 5-37

12. Ryan Walters, Purdue
Record: 5-19

13. Jon Embree, Colorado
Record: 4-21

14. Darrell Hazell, Purdue
Record: 9-33

15. Willie Taggart, Florida State
Record: 9-12

16. Mike Jinks, Bowling Green
Record: 7-24

17. Kevin Sumlin, Arizona
Record: 9-20

18. Karl Dorrell, Colorado
Record: 8-15

19. Bryan Harsin, Auburn
Record: 9-12

20. Charlie Strong, Texas
Record: 16-21

21. Chris Ash, Rutgers
Record: 8-32

22. Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech
Record: 10-28

23. Mike Riley, Nebraska
Record: 19-19

24. Steve Addazio, Colorado State
Record: 4-12

25. Mike Locksley, New Mexico
Record: 2-26

Other notable head coach hires: Herm Edwards (Arizona State), John L. Smith (Arkansas), Paul Pasqualoni (Connecticut), Ted Roof (Duke), Todd Graham (Hawaii), Larry Porter (Memphis), Bill Callahan (Nebraska), Scott Frost (Nebraska), Jimmy Lake (Washington), Paul Wulff (Washington State)



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Disability Pride Month Proclamation | Penn State, State College News

Mayor Ezra Nanes issued a proclamation that recognizes July 2025 as Disability Pride Month. The month, which was officially recognized in 2015, is meant to celebrate people with disabilities as well as the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990 by former president Geroge H.W. Bush. “Disability Pride Month challenges […]

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Mayor Ezra Nanes issued a proclamation that recognizes July 2025 as Disability Pride Month.

The month, which was officially recognized in 2015, is meant to celebrate people with disabilities as well as the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990 by former president Geroge H.W. Bush.

“Disability Pride Month challenges us to confront and dismantle ableism in all its forms,” Nanes said. “It amplifies the voices, leadership, and creativity of people with disabilities and reminds us that their lives are full, valuable and worthy.”

Nanes continued by affirming State College’s commitment to “ensure our services empower the disability community” and that the borough’s policies “reflect our belief that inclusion and accessibility benefit everyone”.

The proclamation was followed by remarks from Terry Watson, the Associate Director of Student Disability Services for the Chaiken Center of Student Success.

“As a neurodivergent individual, even raising a neurodiverse son, disability inclusion is vital for us and for many students, community members and visitors who live in or visit Happy Valley,” Watson said. “In July, we celebrate disability pride and recognize the contribution that nearly 70 million adults with disabilities make to our communities as well as the 7.5 million students with disabilities who attend our educational institutions.”

Watson also spoke about several events that Penn State and the Pennsylvania Human Relation Commission will hold to celebrate Disability Pride Month and praised the efforts of the accessibility team to ensure the availability of course materials.

He also said he would be remiss if he didn’t recognize the passing of Patricia “Patty” Berne, a co-founder of the disability justice movement Sins Invalid, where she was the executive and artistic director.

Watson concluded his remarks by quoting Tanja Jefferson, one of two Penn State students who are collecting stories to highlight those living with disabilities.

“‘Sharing my story, sharing the stories of the huge range of experiences of people living with a disability is how we create not just empathy but appreciation for the necessity and importance of legislation such as the ADA’,” Watson said. “Let’s learn from our youth and remember (that) equity and compliance are not the floor and not the ceiling or the goal.”

MORE BOROUGH COVERAGE  


Polco presents 2025 National Community Survey results for State College

Jason Neumeyer, a survey research associate for the National Research Center at Polco, prese…

If you’re interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.



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Rolling and tumbling: Damelio balancing gymnastics, school and ardent dreams | Local

From climbing monkey bars as a preschooler to competing as a Senior Elite gymnast, Ally Damelio of San Mateo has transformed raw energy and fearlessness into a disciplined athletic journey, one that balances intense training, academic pressure and dreams of collegiate gymnastics. At just 16, Damelio was promoted to Senior Elite status after aging out […]

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From climbing monkey bars as a preschooler to competing as a Senior Elite gymnast, Ally Damelio of San Mateo has transformed raw energy and fearlessness into a disciplined athletic journey, one that balances intense training, academic pressure and dreams of collegiate gymnastics.

At just 16, Damelio was promoted to Senior Elite status after aging out of Junior Elite, marking a major milestone in her gymnastics career. Reaching this level is significant — Senior Elite is the highest competitive tier in the sport, with no upper age limit — a category that includes stars like Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles.







Gymnastics Ally Damelio 2

Ally Damelio balances a hybrid school schedule at Aragon to allow for afternoon gymnastics practice.




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ESPN ranks every Big Ten Football team ahead of 2025 season

ESPN ranked every Big Ten team ahead of the 2025 college football season, using their SP+ metrics. Confused? Well, we’ll give you an explanation via ESPN. “One other reminder: SP+ is a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency,” ESPN’s Bill Connelly wrote. “It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable […]

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ESPN ranked every Big Ten team ahead of the 2025 college football season, using their SP+ metrics. Confused? Well, we’ll give you an explanation via ESPN.

“One other reminder: SP+ is a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency,” ESPN’s Bill Connelly wrote. “It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking, and along those lines, these projections aren’t intended to be a guess at what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the season. These are simply early offseason power rankings based on the information we have been able to gather.”

The preseason factors for this list include returning production, recent recruiting and recent history. So when you put that all together, you’ll see how all of these Big Ten teams stack up going into the 2025 season. Every team’s national rank is included in parentheses.

The Buckeyes are at the top of the Big Ten and also the top of the country, when it comes to ESPN’s SP+ rankings. Ohio State is the defending champ and could very well repeat.

Having to replace key positions could prevent that, but they still have stars such as Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs. Whomever Ryan Day picks as his starting quarterback will be the biggest move of the offseason.

Drew Allar
USA Today Sports

Penn State plans to run it back in 2025 like Ohio State just did last season. The goal? A national championship victory.

ESPN has them as the second best team in the Big Ten right now and a top three team in the country. Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen, Nick Singleton, Dani Dennis-Sutton, the stars are endless!

The Ducks won the Big Ten last season, going 13-0 and earning the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. They slipped up against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl but have a chance to win it all this year too.

ESPN has them No. 7 overall, which goes to show the strength of the conference, being that Oregon is third among their foes. Dante Moore takes over at QB and it’ll be an intriguing storyline considering he took a year behind Dillon Gabriel.

Here’s where it gets interesting for the Big Ten and college football at large. Michigan is back near the top of the conference after an average season in 2024.

Sherrone Moore goes into Year 2 with a better quarterback situation and some solid pieces on both sides of the ball. The fact that ESPN’s metrics have the Wolverines in the top 10 is telling. This could be a playoff team after a year off.

Bret Bielema believes Illinois linebacker Gabe Jacas has a little bit of JJ Watt in him.
Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Illinois will also try to make it to the College Football Playoff this season as ESPN ranked them in the top 20 nationwide. It’s good for the top five in the Big Ten.

Luke Altmyer is back at QB, giving the Fighting Illini a leg up on most teams in the conference. Bret Bielema’s crew won 10 games last season and that could be a possibility this fall.

Curt Cignetti pushed every right button in 2024 and now has a reloaded roster as he tries to lead the Hoosiers back to the CFP. Fernando Mendoza is in at QB from Cal, giving him another talented signal caller.

ESPN ranked them in the upper half of the Big Ten and a top 25 team in the country. But, it might be hard to replicate last year’s record setting season. Still, they have the talent.

The Hawkeyes being a top 30 program just feels right year to year. They’re in the top half of the Big Ten and ESPN likes how Iowa projects into 2025 and beyond.

Kirk Ferentz and crew are always going to be a tough out and that could be the case again this year. Although, we don’t think they’ll necessarily be a playoff threat. But we can’t rule it out!

8. USC (30)

USC HC Lincoln Riley
Gary A. Vasquez | Imagn Images

USC is trying to avoid another disappointing season, but facts are facts right now. Lincoln Riley’s time with the Trojans has been mediocre since his debut season.

That doesn’t mean the team doesn’t have talent, especially on offense and what Riley does with his quarterbacks. But the age old question is can the defense actually improve? They’ll need that to compete at the top of the Big Ten.

The Huskers’ expectations are certainly rising going into 2025. Second-year quarterback Dylan Raiola will be the man who drives the bus.

Matt Rhule getting Nebraska to rise in the Big Ten and nationwide would be par for the course, given his coaching history. But right now, they’ll have to prove it as ESPN has them in the middle of the conference.

The Badgers underwent a makeover with Luke Fickell at the helm. Going into 2025, Wisconsin could see some improvements, despite being No. 10 in the Big Ten.

ESPN still has them as a top 40 team in the country, which might mean postseason when it’s all said and done. Don’t be surprised if this team rises up the ranks a bit.

Jedd Fisch Washington
© Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Huskies will go into Year 2 under Jedd Fisch. There were some ups and downs last season and ESPN expects them to be a middling Big Ten team this year.

As far as the national ranking? Well, top 40 isn’t too shabby. There are a lot of transfers on defense, six of which are projected starters a little less than two months away from the season. 

PJ Fleck is ready to row the boats back to the postseason in 2025 and maybe a little further. But right now, ESPN has them in the bottom half of the Big Ten right now.

Still, being a top 40 team projects out to a team that’ll make a bowl game. Transfers on the offensive line should help reshape the unit to success.

Rutgers has made a bowl game two years in a row as Greg Schiano has something cooking during his second stint at the school. The defense was a problem last season as there were numerous missed opportunities at nine, maybe even 10 wins.

Competing in the Big Ten this year will be harder with a more difficult schedule. There’s a good offense to work with as this is still a top 50 team according to ESPN, so a third straight bowl game should be a possibility.

14. UCLA (51)

Urban Meyer is doubling down on his take that Tennessee is
Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

DeShaun Foster hopes for more success in Year 2, which would include getting to a bowl game. Right now, they’re in the bottom third of the Big Ten per ESPN.

Nico Iamaleava is at QB after transferring from Tennessee. How that translates is anyone’s guess, but the Bruins certainly have a talented player at the position.

Jonathan Smith is working to rebuild Michigan State and they’ll have to climb out from the bottom of the Big Ten, per ESPN. There’s a bit of a gap between UCLA and MSU at this point too.

Aidan Chiles is an intriguing QB talent and could turn into something worthwhile throughout the course of the season. Like the Bruins, the Spartans were 5-7 last season and making a bowl game should be the goal, despite a lower ranking.

The Terrapins might be in a bit of a rebuild now as Mike Locksley turns the calendar to the 2025 season. They’re near the bottom of the Big Ten in these rankings.

ESPN also has them far lower than a few teams just above them in the conference. It could be another down year for this crew.

Northwestern head coach David Braun was promoted to full-time head coach in 2023. (Photo by David Banks-Imagn Images)
(Photo by David Banks-Imagn Images)

Northwestern had a lot of magic in 2023 under David Braun. It all came crashing back down to earth last season and ESPN probably expects another year of four or five wins, based on the metrics.

The Wildcats are second to last in the Big Ten rankings going into the season. Maybe Braun and crew have a few more surprises up their sleeves.

Purdue is undergoing a total rebuild with new head coach Barry Odom. He’s brought some of his guys over from UNLV for a fresh start as well.

The Boilermakers will have to do a lot of work to climb up the ranks of the Big Ten. ESPN’s rankings have them outside the top 100 nationwide as well.



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