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NBA DFS Picks Breakdown on DraftKings (Friday, April 11)

Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections. Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups. You can also use our SimLabs Lineup Generator, a tool that creates […]

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NBA DFS Picks Breakdown on DraftKings (Friday, April 11)

Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.

Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.

You can also use our SimLabs Lineup Generator, a tool that creates the most user-friendly lineup generation process.

Note: Projections and Leverage Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly. 

Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.

NBA DFS Point Guard Picks

Stud

Coming off yet another triple-double, Josh Giddey has catapulted himself to one of the best fantasy point guards in the league recently. In Wednesday’s victory over the Heat, Giddey stuffed the stat sheet with 28 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists, three blocks, and two steals, accumulating a season-high 78.5 DraftKings points. He shot 11-for-16 from the field, including 3-for-6 from downtown. Post All-Star Break has been a new Giddey. He is averaging a near triple-double with 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game.

Giddey leads all point guards in projected ceiling due to an elite matchup against the Wizards, who rank fourth in pace and 28th in defensive rating. The Bulls are a 16.5-point home favorite tonight, implied for a slate-high 126.5 points. Despite a rising salary, Giddey is one of the best pay-up options on the slate.


Value

The Mavericks are locked into either ninth or 10th in the Western Conference play-in tournament. They have several guards, including Spencer DinwiddieKlay ThompsonJaden Hardy, and Dante Exum, who are all questionable to play tonight. With no real incentive, they could give a few of those guys the night off.

With a likely depleted backcourt, Brandon Williams has a great chance to draw his third start of the season. He is projected to play 24 minutes and leads all point guards by a wide margin in projected Plus/Minus. The best part is, Williams is a near-minimum $3,200.

In March, Williams has been one of the best contributors off the bench for the Mavericks. He is averaging 16.6 points per game while shooting 54.1% from the field.


Fast Break

Arguably, the best game on the slate is this Eastern Conference showdown between the Pistons and Bucks. These two teams play tonight and Sunday to determine the No. 5 seed. Expect a heavy dose of Cade Cunningham for the Pistons, who leads the entire slate in projected usage rate at 36.4%. In his fourth year in the league, Cunningham is averaging a career-high in points, rebounds, and assists. He’s also found success this season against the Bucks, averaging 29 points, 8.5 assists, and six rebounds per game.

Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:

NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks

Stud

After a 44-point performance last night against the Grizzlies, Anthony Edwards leads a shooting guard position that is lacking star power. Edwards seemingly couldn’t miss last night, shooting 13-for-19 from the field, 7-for-11 from behind the arc, and 11-for-13 from the charity stripe. His 44 points were tied for his third-highest mark of the season, and he is clearly the Timberwolves’ top option in a game they must win.

The Timberwolves are a slate-high 19.5-point home favorite against the Nets, who are starting a glorified G League team. If they win their next two games against the Nets and Jazz, the Timberwolves are guaranteed a top-six seed. With a 31% projected usage rate, Edwards is the clear-cut best shooting guard option tonight. However, with better studs available, Edwards is drawing just a 5% ownership projection.


Value

Leading the entire slate in projected Plus/Minus is Pelicans’ rookie Antonio Reeves. The Kentucky product has recorded three-straight ceiling performances. In his last three games, Reeves has averaged 18.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 31.4 DraftKings points per game. Projected to play 35 minutes with a 26% usage rate, Reeves is drawing an ownership projection of over 40%, which is the second-highest on the slate.

Playing with no regular starters, the Pelicans are 14.5-point home underdog against the Heat. This matchup is not difficult compared to previous years, with the Heat barely making the play-in tournament. For Reeves, this comes down to opportunity. At $4,000 with shooting guard and small forward eligibility, he will have plenty of chances to soar over his projected output. He is another great value in all formats.


Fast Break

Coby White has not displayed the same ceiling as Giddey but has also been sensational since the All-Star Break. He’s averaged 25.8 points per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Most of White’s fantasy production comes from scoring the ball, but he has 30+ points in two of his last three games. Projected for slightly under 10% ownership, White is a cheaper way to get exposure to the Bulls’ offense. He also has shooting guard and small forward eligibility, making it easier to fit him into all lineup builds.

Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code FL55.

NBA DFS Small Forward Picks

Stud

Trying to hold off the Pacers for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Knicks are 7.5-point home favorites against a resting Cavaliers team. Both Josh Hart and OG Anunoby are projected for a similar amount of fantasy points and ownership. Hart gets the slight edge over Anunoby simply because he does a better job of stuffing the stat sheet and is more than capable of posting a triple-double. Hart has a double-double in the last three games, averaging 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game.

The Cavaliers were without four of their five starters on Thursday, and they could rest again on the second leg of a back-to-back. That makes this a much better spot for the Knicks than if they were healthy. Hart has had no trouble contributing in two previous games vs. the Cavs this season, averaging 17.5 points and nine rebounds per game. He has a fantastic chance for a double or triple-double.


Value

Similar to Reeves, Keion Brooks is projected for 40% ownership and will benefit from all of the Pelicans’ injuries. The rookie from Washington has only played in 12 games for the Pelicans and started four. However, in his last three games, Brooks has averaged 15.7 points, seven rebounds, and 27.4 DraftKings points per game with one double-double.

The Heat rank 21st in rebounding percentage, giving Brooks an opportunity for another points and rebounds double-double. Brooks has recorded a positive Plus/Minus in seven of his last eight games and has the second-highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate. Both Brooks and Reeves stand out as amazing value options.


Fast Break

Averaging a career-high 18.3 points per game and shooting over 50% from the field, Michael Porter Jr. ranks third on this slate in projected ownership at the small forward position behind the two Pelicans’ value pieces. He has scored 20+ points in four of his last five games while shooting an impressive 58.1% from the field. This matchup against the Grizzlies features the highest total on the slate at 242.5 points, with the Nuggets being 7.5-point home favorites. Porter Jr. is a strong mid-range play in all lineup builds.

NBA DFS Power Forward Picks

Stud

Giannis Antetokounmpo was barely needed in the Bucks’ 25-point victory in their last outing. Despite only playing 26 minutes, Giannis dominated with a 28-point, 11-rebound double-double while recording five assists and shooting 11-for-17 from the field. However, that was not enough to pay off his $12,700 salary. With a slightly cheaper price tag tonight, Giannis will likely be playing heavy minutes in a competitive game and has a fantastic opportunity for his fourth triple-double in his last five games. He is an elite pay-up option.

In his two games against the Pistons this season, Giannis is averaging an absurd 43.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. In their first matchup of the season, Giannis scored 59 points and 97 DraftKings points. Drawing around 5% projected ownership, Giannis is a great way to differentiate lineup builds on a slate with plenty of value options to choose from.


Value

The Pelicans have yet another source of value at the power forward position with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who is coming off a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double in his last outing. He added three assists and one block while shooting 7-for-13 from the field for 34.5 DraftKings points. Priced at $3,300, Robinson-Earl should start and play around 33 minutes again on Friday.

Similar to Brooks, Robinson-Earl will benefit from the lack of rebounding for the Heat. These prices on the Pelicans’ values are too cheap, even with this game featuring the lowest total on the slate at 214 points. It will not take much for Robinson-Earl to return value at his $3,300 price tag if he gets to 33 minutes. He can also stretch the floor, which is another area where the Heat tend to struggle.


Fast Break

Anthony Davis has been in and out of the Mavericks lineup but is probable to play tonight against a depleted Raptors frontcourt. The Raptors already rank 19th in points allowed per game in the paint, and now Jakob Poeltl is ruled out. Davis will have no trouble in this matchup. In his last favorable matchup against the Hawks, Davis erupted for 34 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks. Drawing a little less than 10% projected ownership with power forward eligibility, Davis is another differentiator at the top of the pricing tier.

NBA DFS Center Picks

Stud

This 10-game slate starts and ends with Nikola Jokic. There is plenty of value on this slate, so paying $13,000 for Jokic will be relatively easy. His ceiling projection leads the slate by 18 points, which is why he is drawing a slate-high 50% projected ownership. Over his last seven games, Jokic has taken his already elite numbers to a different level. During that stretch, he has averaged 37.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 75.1 DraftKings points per game.

The Grizzlies’ interior defense has been solid, but Jokic is matchup-proof. Rookie Zach Edey is going to have his hands full with Jokic in the paint. Nuggets’ point guard Jamal Murray is also doubtful to play. Without Murray on the floor this season, Jokic has a +4.48% usage rate increase (per our On/Off tool).


Value

With the No. 7 seed in the play-in tournament locked up, the Magic will be playing tonight without Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Wendell Carter Jr. That will force center Goga Bitadze into more playing time, and he is currently projected for 28 minutes. Bitadze has had the best year of his career this season, averaging 7.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 61.5% from the field.

The Pacers are one of the best matchups for opposing big men. They rank 28th in both rebounding percentage and points allowed in the paint at 51.7 per game. Bitadze is also priced at $3,400, making him one of the best values on the slate. Even with just a 14% projected usage rate, Bitadze will have plenty of opportunities to return value in this matchup.


Fast Break

With power forward and center eligibility, Raptors’ big man Jonathan Mogbo is coming off two massive ceiling performances. In his last two games, Mogbo has averaged 17 points, 10.5 rebounds, and nine assists per game. He has recorded 50+ DraftKings points in both contests with one triple-double and one double-double. The Mavericks frontcourt is finally healthy, but they can still be one to attack.

Pictured: Josh Giddey
Photo Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

College Sports

Four Aggies Honored On Senior Day; UC Davis Drops Season Finale To UC Riverside

Score: UC Davis 0, UC Riverside 1Winning Pitcher: Maddie Heinlin (13-14)Losing Pitcher: Ashley Sawai (11-13)Records: UC Davis 15-36 (9-18), UC Riverside 21-29 (12-15)Location: Davis, Calif. (La Rue Field) The short story: In the season finale, where UC Davis softball honored its four seasons, the Aggies fell in a close game to UC Riverside to end the 2025 campaign. LEADING […]

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Four Aggies Honored On Senior Day; UC Davis Drops Season Finale To UC Riverside

Score: UC Davis 0, UC Riverside 1
Winning Pitcher: Maddie Heinlin (13-14)
Losing Pitcher: Ashley Sawai (11-13)
Records: UC Davis 15-36 (9-18), UC Riverside 21-29 (12-15)
Location: Davis, Calif. (La Rue Field)

The short story: In the season finale, where UC Davis softball honored its four seasons, the Aggies fell in a close game to UC Riverside to end the 2025 campaign.
 
LEADING OFF

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • The game was very much a pitching duel between the two Aggie aces and UC Riverside’s Heinlin, with neither team scoring runs over the first four frames
  • Over those opening frames that Aggies held UC Riverside to just four hits
  • But in the fifth, UC Riverside got on the board after a runner was knocked in via a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0
  • Despite the Aggie attempts at scoring the tying run over the final three frames, UC Davis could not find the run it needed to extend the game and the season, falling 1-0 to wrap up 2025
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4 Lightweight Rowing Retains Geiger Cup Over #7 MIT, #10 Columbia

Story Links LEONIA, N.J. — The No. 4-ranked Cornell men’s lightweight rowing team swept all three races against No. 7-ranked MIT and No. 10-ranked Columbia on Overpeck Creek inside Overpeck County Park on Saturday morning. Cornell’s 3V8+ opened the day with a 10.6-second victory over Columbia’s 3V8+ with a time of 5:53.4. The Big Red’s […]

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4 Lightweight Rowing Retains Geiger Cup Over #7 MIT, #10 Columbia

LEONIA, N.J. — The No. 4-ranked Cornell men’s lightweight rowing team swept all three races against No. 7-ranked MIT and No. 10-ranked Columbia on Overpeck Creek inside Overpeck County Park on Saturday morning.

Cornell’s 3V8+ opened the day with a 10.6-second victory over Columbia’s 3V8+ with a time of 5:53.4. The Big Red’s 4V8+ also competed, finishing in third in 6:06.5.

The Big Red’s 2V8+ crew logged the closest margin of victory on the day, edging Columbia by 3.6 seconds after clocking a 5:46.5 piece. MIT finished in third with a 6:15.1 time.

Posting a 7.5-second victory over MIT in the Geiger Cup race, Cornell clocked the fastest time of any crew on the day (5:34.3). MIT was second with its 5:41.7 time and Columbia placed third (5:45.0).

Cornell has won consecutive Geiger Cup races for the first time since 2019 and 2022, and is the first instance it won in successive years since 2014 and 2015. The Big Red’s success on Columbia’s waters were further solidified on Saturday, as the Big Red has now won the Geiger Cup in each of the last seven runnings (2008, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2022, 2024, and 2025).

Saturday’s racing featured MIT for the first time since 2018, as the Engineers had its best placing in the cup race since also finishing in second place in 1993 in Ithaca.

RESULTS
1V8+:
Cornell: 5:34.26
MIT: 5:41.72
Columbia: 5:44.97
 
2V8+:
Cornell: 5:46.5
Columbia: 5:50.1
MIT: 6:15.1
 
3V8+:
Cornell: 5:53.35
Columbia: 6:03.95
Cornell 4V8+: 6:06.49

BOATINGS
1V8+: Aden Walsey (coxswain), Jack Savell (stroke), Emmett Patterson, Andrew Hohlt, Nathan Bechard, Grant Smith, Peter Albrecht, Sam Alston, Eliott Swinney (bow).
 
2V8+: Amanda Johnson (coxswain), Jack Oliveira (stroke), Eric Genden, Gabe Xu, Steven Busby, Colin Bailey, Calder Fritz, Tomas Eliot Foxley, Patrick Reilly (bow).
 
3V8+: Joycelyn Vu (coxswain), Luke Zaslow (stroke), Owen Brown, Keaton Lynch, David Soucie-Garza, John Zegger, Teddy Holtman, Jon Mayer, Maximilian Purcea (bow).
 
4V8+: Sofia Lago (coxswain), Matteo Calalang (stroke), Tyler Forg, Ryan Aghazadeh, Tanas Kazlas, Francis Lau, Dylan Price, William Fang, Michael Phelps (bow).

A LOOK UPSTREAM
Cornell will return to action on Sunday, May 18, when it races at the Eastern Sprints Championship in Worcester, Mass., on Lake Quinsigamond.

The Big Red are scheduled to send five crews to the event, highlighted by four V8+ crews and a V4+.
 

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The 'Boom' of Sports Documentaries, Where Everyone is Messi

Yolanda Veiga Domingo, 4 de mayo 2025, 00:17 Comenta Compartir Jorge Valdano says of Sergio Ramos that he ‘has the attributes of a hero’; Messi of Andrés Iniesta that ‘every player would want to score the goals he did’; Carolina Marín’s coach that ‘if there’s someone who cannot fail, it’s her’; Schumacher’s wife about her […]

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The 'Boom' of Sports Documentaries, Where Everyone is Messi

Yolanda Veiga

Domingo, 4 de mayo 2025, 00:17

Jorge Valdano says of Sergio Ramos that he ‘has the attributes of a hero’; Messi of Andrés Iniesta that ‘every player would want to score the goals he did’; Carolina Marín’s coach that ‘if there’s someone who cannot fail, it’s her’; Schumacher’s wife about her husband that he is ‘tremendously strong’; and the Olympic commentator about Simon Biles that she is ‘a unique athlete’.

The list of adjectives is endless, all following the same epic path: immense, exemplary, magician, phenomenon, extraordinary, unique, unstoppable, a star… This is how Carlos Alcaraz is also portrayed in the documentary recently released by Netflix. Docuseries about athletes or teams—from Pelé to ‘skater’ Bob Burnquist, from Real Madrid to the Boston Celtics in basketball—have become a television genre in their own right, the latest phenomenon embraced by streaming platforms. Amazon Prime, HBO, Netflix…

All have made room for them among Nordic series, true crime, or luxury real estate reality shows. But where does this fever… and this prolific production come from? ‘It responds to a viewer’s need to know the ‘human side’ of success. For years, we have seen athletes as almost unreachable figures, and these documentaries have opened the door to their vulnerabilities, internal struggles, and growth processes,’ explains Alejo García-Naveira, coordinator of the sports psychology section of the Official College of Psychology of Madrid and professor at Villanueva University.

Producer Jordi Marquès also emphasizes the value of seeing the person behind the athlete. ‘Sports have epic and values like overcoming and teamwork. But there are also hatreds, envies, egos, betrayals… Hence, it is reasonably easy to have a good story to tell.’ Because, García-Naveira agrees, ‘today what connects is not just the victory, but the story that precedes it.’

The precedent of ‘La Roja’ ‘Everyone is portrayed as heroes, stars. They are the best, number one, unrepeatable…’, adds García-Naveira. Many of these products tend to mythologize the protagonist, constructing an almost epic figure. But it is also a narrative strategy that seeks to inspire and engage. Do they exaggerate? Sometimes, yes. But if we look beyond the ‘legend’, they also show insecurities, sacrifice, pressure… For example, the one about David Beckham talks about his sporting successes, but also about mental health issues, the harassment he suffered, his obsessions, the problems with his partner… Even without being the Beckhams, other less renowned athletes also have ‘great stories’ in their biography. ‘Senna’, dedicated to Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna, is an audiovisual gem.

In ‘Brothers and Enemies: Petrovic and Divac’, basketball player Vlade Divac narrates a story of sports, friendship, and war that leaves no one indifferent. And ‘Red Army. The Cold War on Ice’ shows how international politics and hockey mix masterfully,’ adds other examples Marquès, producer of Minoría Absoluta. Both experts agree that the genre is experiencing a ‘boom’, but it is difficult to pinpoint when it exploded. ‘I would say the turning point was ‘The Last Dance’, the documentary about Michael Jordan.

It wasn’t the first, but it created a before and after in terms of narrative, production, and reach. From there, many platforms saw the emotional and commercial potential of telling these stories,’ opines the psychologist. The producer looks back to the pre-streaming platform era, which arrived in Spain in 2015. ‘Canal+ was already broadcasting ‘Informe Robinson’ with documentaries about the sports world, like the one dedicated to the Spanish national team’s triumph in the 2010 South Africa World Cup.’ More Dramatic But what started only with football has now extended to (almost) any sport.

‘In documentaries about cycling, boxing, or Formula 1, the focus is more dramatic because the physical and mental wear is extreme, and that provides a lot of material. These sports have a component of risk and solitude that lends itself well to the television format: the body’s suffering, the mind under pressure… They are powerful stories,’ highlights Alejo García-Naveira. Jordi Marquès is surprised by ‘the rise of documentaries about climbing, a very minority sport. Even if you’re not interested, there’s a title, ‘Free Solo’, that gives you goosebumps and generates tension on par with any other. You also have to see ‘The Price of Gold’, which portrays the rivalry between skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding for the Olympic gold, leading them to court. And in the sports underworld, we find the title about the sexual abuse by doctor Larry Nassar of American gymnasts.’

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Maryland Basketball Recruiting

New Maryland men’s basketball head coach Buzz Williams‘ first high school recruiting class with the Terps now stands at two. Class of 2025 point guard Guillermo Del Pino has signed with Maryland, CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported on Friday afternoon. [embedded content] Del Pino, not rated on 247Sports’ ratings, is listed at 6-foot-4 […]

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Maryland Basketball Recruiting

New Maryland men’s basketball head coach Buzz Williams‘ first high school recruiting class with the Terps now stands at two.

Class of 2025 point guard Guillermo Del Pino has signed with Maryland, CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported on Friday afternoon.

Del Pino, not rated on 247Sports’ ratings, is listed at 6-foot-4 and 183 pounds, per RealGM.

Del Pino, who turned 18 on Jan. 12, averaged 11.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks per game in seven games playing for Spain at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in Türkiye. 

He was recognized as an all-star at the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders camp this past February. He did an interview with 247Sports’ Dushawn London shortly after and described his game.

“I consider myself to be a very energetic player who gives 100% on the court,” he told London. “I can contribute to the creation and management of the game. I can shoot the three and I think I have great potential as a defensive player. I do those things well. I am working to improve on my physical conditioning.”

Del Pino helped guide Spain to the FIBA U16 European Championship in North Macedonia in August 2023. He earned MVP honors after scoring 22 points in a 77-68 win over Italy in the final. For the tournament, he averaged 14.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

“He takes a lot of off the dribble shots,” popular talent evaluator Arman Jovic said on a radio appearance with ESPN Louisville in February. “He’s shifty. He can really play. He was the MVP of E16, and so he’s a really, really talented guard. I’m a little bit lower than him amongst like some other European services I’ve seen, but I think he could be a good depth piece and for [the future would] be a good player.”

Del Pino joins McDonald’s All-American and five-star combo guard Darius Adams in the Class of 2025 heading to College Park. He is the 10th player on Williams’ first roster at Maryland, joining Texas A&M transfers Pharrel Payne, Solomon Washington, Andre Mills and George Turkson Jr., Indiana transfer Myles Rice, Washington State transfer Isaiah Watts, Kansas transfer David Coit and Virginia transfer Elijah Saunders.

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Matt Luce hired as New Castle boys basketball coach after 18 years at Wapahani

AI-assisted summaryMatt Luce, Wapahani’s all-time winningest boys basketball coach, is leaving after 18 seasons to lead the New Castle Trojans.Luce amassed a 335-99 record at Wapahani, leading the Raiders to multiple county, sectional and regional titles, and a 2A state runner-up finish in 2023-24.NEW CASTLE — After an incredibly successful 18-year run, the Matt Luce […]

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Matt Luce hired as New Castle boys basketball coach after 18 years at Wapahani

AI-assisted summaryMatt Luce, Wapahani’s all-time winningest boys basketball coach, is leaving after 18 seasons to lead the New Castle Trojans.Luce amassed a 335-99 record at Wapahani, leading the Raiders to multiple county, sectional and regional titles, and a 2A state runner-up finish in 2023-24.NEW CASTLE — After an incredibly successful 18-year run, the Matt Luce era of Wapahani boys basketball has come to an end.Luce was named the next head coach at New Castle following a special session of the New Castle Community Schools board on Friday, May 2. He went 335-99 during his time at Wapahani, making him the program’s all-time winningest coach.”How exciting to be the new coach of the New Castle Trojans?” Luce said. “With that comes a lot of tradition, a lot of expectations, a lot of fun. I think my wife and I will be excited for it, and we’re ready to roll again, so just excited to be standing here and thrilled to be the next coach at New Castle.”The news was first reported May 1 on social media by Sam Frick of Around the Northeast Corner.

Luce, a 1992 graduate of Wapahani, led the Raiders to six Delaware County titles, seven sectional crowns, three regional championships and one semi-state title during his tenure. Wapahani finished as IHSAA Class 2A state runners-up in the 2023-24 season. Prior to Luce’s arrival, Wapahani had endured 10 straight losing seasons.

For Luce, the decision to leave Wapahani and the Selma community where he grew up was not an easy one.”Bittersweet,” Luce said of his decision. “What a wonderful 18 years at Wapahani, coaching basketball, teaching, raising my family, making so many friends. It’s the teachers, it’s the assistant coaches, it’s the players and their families. Extremely bittersweet.”Matt Luce was approved as the next head coach of the New Castle boys basketball program at a special session of the New Castle school board on Friday, May 2, 2025. Luce has coached Wapahani for the last 18 seasonsNew Castle athletic director Cory Bennett highlighted the characteristics that made Luce stand out as a candidate for the Trojans head coaching job.”Obviously, he has a great record at Wapahani,” Bennet said. “But I think also just the fact that he’s been running the ECI leagues, so obviously he has a lot of knowledge with feeder systems and putting time into feeder systems. And I think the last part was just personality. I mean, we felt like when he came in, he was easy to talk to. Thought he would fit in well with not only all of us, but also the community.”Luce began his coaching career as an assistant at Fountain Central from 1999-2001. He then was an assistant at Crawfordsville in 2001-02 before beginning his head coaching career at Southwestern (Hanover) in 2002-03. He returned to Crawfordsville as the head coach for 2003-04 before spending three years as the head coach at Benton Central from 2004-07. Luce returned to Wapahani in 2007. His overall career coaching record is 385-159.Luce is from a family of coaches, including his father Mike, brothers Joe and Kris, and nephew Tommy. Joe Luce was recently named the next head coach at Wawasee after three seasons at Tippecanoe Valley.Contact Cade Hampton via email at cbhampton@muncie.gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.

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UFC Des Moines Viewers Guide For Awesome May 3 Show

For the first time since 2000, the UFC makes its way back to Iowa for a special showcase of some of the best that the bantamweight division has to offer when Cory Sandhagen battles Deiveson Figueiredo in the headlining bout of UFC Des Moines. Before that, though, Reinier de Ridder looks to extend his UFC […]

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UFC Des Moines Viewers Guide For Awesome May 3 Show

For the first time since 2000, the UFC makes its way back to Iowa for a special showcase of some of the best that the bantamweight division has to offer when Cory Sandhagen battles Deiveson Figueiredo in the headlining bout of UFC Des Moines. Before that, though, Reinier de Ridder looks to extend his UFC win streak to three when he takes on Bo Nickal in the second to last bout of the night.

UFC Des Moines Main Event

Stepping into the cage for the first time since suffering a unanimous decision defeat to Umar Nurmagomedov last August, Sandhagen aims to stake his claim toward a shot at 135-lb gold in Des Moines. Boasting one of the more well-rounded skill sets in the division, the Colorado native has all the tools he needs to record a dominant performance in his fifth main event in a row.

UFC Des Moines Co-Main Event

Since moving up to the bantamweight class in late 2023, Figueiredo has enjoyed much success in the Octagon, winning his first three fights in the weight category over Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt and Marlon Vera. Sadly, that impressive streak would be ended following a close contest with Petr Yan at UFC Fight Night 248. Undeterred from claiming a second belt, the previous two-time flyweight champion will go toe-to-toe with yet another strong contender in the UFC Des Moines co-main event this weekend.

In the not too distant past, de Ridder was on top of the world as a high-profile double title holder in ONE Championship. Aiming to build on his legacy even further, “The Dutch Knight” signed with the UFC in 2024, submitting Gerald Meerschaert in his debut. Netting a first round submission over Kevin Holland at UFC 315 in January, the middleweight standout appears primed to continue his ascent up the rankings in UFC Des Moines.

Emerging as a top blue chip prospect in mixed martial arts, Nickal has looked sterling across his UFC career so far with a perfect 4-0 company record. Handedly defeating Paul Craig at UFC 309, Nickal now has the chance to finally crack the 185-lb top 15 by conquering a once two-division champion from another promotion.

Here’s how to watch UFC Des Moines

Online Streaming: You can catch the entire card on  ESPN+, but you will need to subscribe in order to do so. Right now, the company is offering a monthly or yearly subscription of $11.99 and $119.99 respectively. For those who want to get more bang out of their buck, there is also the monthly Disney Bundle Deal, which offers ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney+ for $16.99 with included commercials, or $26.99 for no commercials at all.

Start Time and Date: The Preliminaries will begin at 7pm ET, followed by the Main Card at 10pm ET on April 26th.

Bout order for UFC Des Moines

Main Card:
Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (Bantamweight Main Event)
Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal (Middleweight Co-Main Event)
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez (Welterweight)
Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos (Bantamweight)
Cameron Smotherman vs. Serhiy Sidey (Bantamweight)
Jeremy Stephens vs. Mason Jones (Lightweight)

Preliminaries:
Yana Santos vs. Miesha Tate (Women’s Bantamweight Featured Bout)

Ryan Loder vs. Azamat Bekoev (Middleweight)

Marina Rodriguez vs. Gillian Robertson (Women’s Strawweight)

Gaston Bolaños vs. Quang Le (Bantamweight)

Thomas Petersen vs. Don’Tale Mayes (Heavyweight)

Juliana Miller vs. Ivana Petrović (Women’s Flyweight)

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