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⚽ Five things to know Monday
🏀 Do not miss this: Who will go No. 1 in NBA Draft?
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In plenty of draft cycles, AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson would stand alone as the obvious choice to go No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft. This year, they share the same class, making the decision far more intriguing. The team holding the first pick in tomorrow’s opening round, the Washington Wizards, has kept its plans quiet. While choosing between the BYU standout and the Kansas phenom may feel like a good problem to have, our experts still have their preferences.
A pre-draft roundtable revealed a narrow edge for Dybantsa, with four of our writers picking him over Peterson. Gary Parrish explained why Dybantsa would be his choice if he were making the call in Washington’s draft room:
Dybantsa has made it clear he believes he will be the first player whose name is called by commissioner Adam Silver. If that happens, it would mark the peak of a path that has long been aimed at exactly this moment.
If the decision were up to our Isaac Trotter, Dybantsa would see that ambition become reality. In his latest mock draft, Trotter projects the 25.5-points-per-game scorer to be selected first:
Cameron Salerno’s mock draft, however, has the board breaking another way.
- “Like I’ve said for the last calendar year, I strongly believe that Peterson is the best player in the class. It might be a shocker to some if Peterson goes here, but I personally think he is a better fit in Washington than Utah.”
🏆 Top weekend moments from the World Cup
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We’re partial to the around here, of course, but the win over on Friday was just one of the countless results that was worth noting around the midpoint of the group stage. A few other nations made headlines, for better or worse, as the rubber really started to hit the road over the weekend.
Here’s what you should know from Saturday’s action:
Sunday delivered a couple of uplifting stories:
- overcame their unique travel demands to force a scoreless draw with , which puts them within striking distance of a trip to the knockout stage.
- are in the midst of something truly magical. After their bewildering draw with Spain in the opener, they pulled level with in a 2-2 stunner to pick up another point and put themselves in contention to become the smallest nation to ever reach the knockout stage.
📈📉 Top tier emerges in MLB Power Rankings
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The divide between the four best teams in baseball and the remaining 26 is more than just a gap; it is a chasm. There was a point last week when the , , and held a combined run differential of +480 while everyone else accounted for a differential of -480. Keep that in mind while interpreting Matt Snyder’s MLB Power Rankings this week. Just because a team stands inside the top 10, that does not mean it is even remotely in the same tier as the surefire World Series contenders.
That’s not to say you should call it quits on this season if your team is not one of those four. Injuries, unfortunately, are a reality of baseball and can change the landscape. The trade deadline ought to shift the power structure. Crazy things happen in the postseason.
What I’m telling you is this: If your team is listed below in the next-best tier of this week’s power rankings, keep the faith.
5. (–)
6. (–)
7. (↑2)
8. (–)
Snyder makes a pretty compelling case to keep believing in the Cardinals, who are one of five teams to move up multiple spots.
- “JJ Weltherholt homered in consecutive innings Sunday, prospect Joshua Baez had a four-homer game last week and looks ready, Jordan Walker is a beast, etc. This rebuild sure doesn’t seem too painful, huh?”
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
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📺 What we’re watching Monday
⚽ World Cup: Argentina vs. Austria, 1 p.m. on Fox
🤼 WWE Raw, 2 p.m. on Netflix
⚽ World Cup: France vs. Iraq, 5 p.m. on Fox
⚾ Royals at Rays or 6:40 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ CWS Finals: North Carolina vs. Oklahoma, Game 3, 7 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Astros at Blue Jays, 7:07 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ Cubs at Mets, 7:10 p.m. on Peacock
⚽ World Cup: Norway vs. Senegal, 8 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Mercury at Fever, 8 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Braves at Padres, 10:10 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ World Cup: Jordan vs. Algeria, 11 p.m. on FS1
