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We’re getting to the business end of the Champions League ’s opening round. Liverpool continue to make the revamped competition look easy and there were good nights for Real Madrid (well, mostly) and Bayern Munich but at the other end, RB Leipzig have become the first team to be eliminated after the most super of substitutes Jhon Duran did it again for high-flying Aston Villa . PSG secured a vital 3-0 victory at Red Bull Salzburg to boost their flagging campaign, while Sporting CP, whose manager Ruben Amorim jumped ship to join Manchester United a month ago, suffered a fourth straight defeat in all competitions. Here are the big talking points from Tuesday... Mbappe was looking unstoppable — for 35 minutes Tenth minute — what a goal that is from Kylian Mbappe , a touch smooth like velvet to send Marten de Roon for a meal deal and then pulls out the driver with a smart low finish and then a Cristiano Ronaldo celebration... he’s playing really well and looks back to his best, this could be the turning point he’s been waiting for in a Real Madrid shirt. Advertisement Thirty-fifth minute — goes off injured. Video for UK readers The touch and finish 😮💨 Kylian Mbappé secures his 50th #UCL goal 🌟 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/upFb0xuzHH — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 10, 2024 Video for U.S. readers MBAPPE MAGIC 🪄😮💨 Atalanta captain Marten de Roon KNEW as soon as Mbappe took that first touch 🥶 pic.twitter.com/KxrzwKViBF — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 10, 2024 Hmm, yep that’s a pretty devastating evening for Mbappe, who won’t be consoled by becoming the second-youngest player to reach 50 Champions League goals (a year behind Lionel Messi , who did it when he was 24). It was a mixed night overall for Madrid, who somehow left Bergamo with three crucial points. They had come into the game teetering on the brink of the early exit places after three defeats in five matches, but second-half goals from Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham proved just about enough. Atalanta ’s domination can be seen in the stats below. Vinicius Jr’s instinctive, snappy strike marked a successful return to the side after a couple of weeks out injured (he played the full 90), while Bellingham continued his prolific recent form with a sixth goal in seven matches. Was it a coincidence that Bellingham scored after Mbappe had exited stage left? When Mbappe and Vinicius Jr are on the pitch, Bellingham struggles to get into those key forward areas, but lately, with one of those two often missing, he has been scoring for fun. In Retegui’s alternative universe Atalanta are second Atalanta were great and deserved at least a point. They mustered double the number of shots and registered an expected goals (xG) tally of three to Madrid’s two. Were it not for a proper heads-gone moment from Mateo Retegui with the final kick of the game, this would have been 3-3. The Argentina-born Italy international forward Retegui is enjoying a fine season after his big move from Genoa in the summer; he’s top scorer in Serie A with 12 and has added another couple in the Champions League. Advertisement But (and we’re sorry Mateo) if he’d scored his penalty against Arsenal on Matchday One (which finished 0-0) and then buried this sitter, Atalanta would be on 15 points in second place. Instead they’re on 12 and in ninth. How... Did... He... Miss? Slot’s Liverpool march on with their flawless record Another win, another clean sheet, another drama-free night for Arne Slot’s serene Liverpool. They already held the final remaining 100 per cent record in the group stage heading into matchday six, and they extended it to make it 18 points from 18 with a 1-0 win at Girona. Slot’s team had to work for the win, with the returning Alisson making some important saves, but it was a pretty straightforward victory thanks to Mohamed Salah ’s second-half penalty. Video for UK readers Salah strikes again from the penalty spot! 💥 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/Qj0hLTHl3J — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 10, 2024 Video for U.S. readers Mo Salah with his 50th #UCL goal to break the deadlock in Spain 🎯 pic.twitter.com/sUsjBXPqqY — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 10, 2024 Those are two common themes in Liverpool’s season — Salah scoring and a lack of drama. Only in three of their 20 league and European matches has a meaningful goal been scored past the 80th minute (Salah’s equaliser at Arsenal, his winning penalty at Southampton and him and Fabian Schar trading late goals at Newcastle United ). No player has more goal involvements in Europe’s top five leagues than Salah’s 16 goals and 12 assists in all competitions. The Egyptian is also the first Liverpool player to score 50 goals in European competitions. To think he’s available on a free transfer in half a year. It’s a good job Salah is scoring because his team-mate Darwin Nunez , with three goals in 19 appearances, isn’t. He looked pretty disheartened at being subbed in Spain. Slot was happy with the result but not the performance, albeit he praised Girona for making life difficult. “We have to thank Alisson that he kept a clean sheet,” Slot said. “Maybe his team-mates wanted to make sure he was really fit, to give him a lot of work.” Evergreen Muller and the wild talent of Musiala and Olise There are 14 years between Jamal Musiala (aged 21) and Thomas Muller (35) and both were on the scoresheet as Bayern Munich fixed their gaze on qualifying for the knockout stages. Bayern had been in a spot of bother after losing two of their opening three games, but this 5-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk, a match hosted at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen with Shakhtar still unable to play at home in Ukraine, moved them up to eighth. With Feyenoord (away) and the dreadful Slovan Bratislava (home) to come, they should qualify. Advertisement Shakhtar did give them a scare, with Brazilian winger Kevin (a fine addition to the pantheon of English-sounding Brazilians, after Fred, Jo and Bernard) making it 1-0 in the fifth minute. Konrad Laimer equalised within six minutes and Bayern dominated almost exclusively thereafter. Muller’s goal after 45 minutes was his first in the competition this season, meaning he has now scored in 16 separate Champions League seasons (a feat matched by Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs). Only Messi and Karim Benzema have scored in more (18 seasons). Musiala made it 4-1 when he sat down defender Alaa Ghram and goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk with one touch before finishing with his next (that’s 18 goal involvements in 20 appearances this season). The goal of the night for Bayern, though, came from Michael Olise . Video for UK readers OH MY 😍 Incredible solo goal from Michael Olise wraps up the win for Bayern in Gelsenkirchen 👏 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/bCjLpK0N34 — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 10, 2024 Goalkeeper in the mud again. Muller’s reaction said it all. Brest win again to move closer to knockout stage The surprise fairytale story of this Champions League _ or of most Champions Leagues — comes from France and Brest, who continue to defy the odds. A 1-0 victory over PSV thanks to Julien Le Cardinal’s goal just before half-time made it four wins from six matches for a club that has never previously played in any European competition, let alone the big one. Brest were an amateur team just 20 years ago. This kind of thing just doesn’t really happen anymore. They only had 33 per cent possession against the Dutch side but that was almost irrelevant. It should also be noted that this game, like all of Brest’s home matches in the Champions League, was played 70 miles away in Guingamp because their stadium isn’t up to UEFA standards. Most of the club isn’t, to be honest, with training facilities that aren’t fit for Ligue 1. Advertisement But the team is certainly up to standard _ and manager Eric Roy is now on the cusp of leading them into the Champions League knockout stages, a feat they may confirm if they beat Shakhtar away on matchday seven next month. It’s quite a story. Tuesday’s results What’s next? The remaining nine fixtures for matchweek six of the eight-round league phase take place on Wednesday. (Top photo: Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)NoneNo. 2 Auburn arrives for prove-it game at No. 9 Duke
EDITOR'S NOTE: On Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. No one wants to see any player take a vicious hit like the one that knocked Trevor Lawrence out of the game. It’s easy to agree on that point. Eliminating violent shots is the hard part. The NFL has instituted several rules to protect quarterbacks but football is a physical sport and players have to react instantly and make split-second decisions going at high speeds so injuries keep occurring. Lawrence was carted off the field in the first half of Jacksonville’s 23-20 loss to Houston on Sunday after Azeez Al-Shaair leveled the defenseless quarterback with a forearm to the facemask. The late hit put Lawrence in the fencing position — both fists clenched — and he stayed on the ground for several minutes, while a brawl ensued. Lawrence didn’t require hospitalization for his concussion but it’s unknown when he’ll return. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out/been praying for me,” Lawrence wrote on X. “I’m home and feeling better. Means a lot, thank you all.” Al-Shaair was ejected from the game and faces a fine and potential suspension after his latest unsportsmanlike penalty. The Texans' linebacker was flagged and later fined $11,255 for a late hit out of bounds on Titans running back Tony Pollard last week. He was fined earlier this year after he punched Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline in Week 2. That occurred during a scuffle that started after his hard shot on quarterback Caleb Williams near the sideline that wasn’t flagged. Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence slides in front of Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair during the first half of a game on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla. Lawrence was injured on the play. John Raoux, Associated Press Al-Shaair once got away with grabbing Tom Brady by the throat on a pass rush in a game between the 49ers and Buccaneers. Outraged Jaguars players called Al-Shaair’s hit “dirty” and Texans coach DeMeco Ryans made it known he didn’t condone it. “It’s not what we’re coaching,” Ryans said. “Want to be smart in everything we do and not hurt the team, get a penalty there. Have to be smarter when the quarterback is going down. Unfortunate play. Not representative of who Azeez is. He’s a smart player, really great leader for us. We felt his presence not being there. His loss really affected us on the defensive side. Just not what we’re coaching. Didn’t want to see the melee and all the aftermath. That’s not what we’re about. Not representative of us. I’ll talk to Azeez, address him personally, and we’ll move forward from it.” Fox Sports color analyst Daryl Johnston, a former fullback for the Dallas Cowboys, didn’t hold back his criticism, calling it a “cheap shot.” “It’s everything you’re not supposed to do,” Johnston said. “Everything. You’ll see this in slow motion and Azeez Al-Shaair does everything you’re trying to prevent in this situation. It’s reckless. It’s disrespectful. There’s an honor that you give to your opponent on the football field and you respect him. And there’s opportunities to be physical and give big hits and play this game in that manner. And there’s other times when there’s a respect that you grant to your opponent.” Some former NFL quarterbacks blasted Al-Shaair on social media. “There is no place in the game of football for dirty hits like this one,” Robert Griffin III wrote on X. Chase Daniel called it “one of the dirtiest hits” he’s ever seen on a quarterback. Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram, right, jumps on Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after his late hit on quarterback Trevor Lawrence, bottom, during the first half of a game on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla. Phelan M. Ebenhack, Associated Press Even defensive players struggled to defend Al-Shaair. “That was uncalled for,” Hall of Fame defensive lineman Michael Strahan said on Fox’s studio show while fellow Hall of Famer Howie Long agreed. But the play also sparked debate about the quarterback slide. Lawrence slid feet first, which signals that he’s giving himself up on the play. The NFL rulebook states: “A defender must pull up when a runner begins a feet-first slide.” But defensive players aren’t automatically penalized if they make contact with a sliding quarterback if they already committed and the contact is unavoidable. The rules state it’s a foul when “the defender makes forcible contact into the head or neck area of the runner with the helmet, shoulder, or forearm, or commits some other act that is unnecessary roughness.” Al-Shaair did that so he was penalized and will face other repercussions. Still, given the hard-hitting nature of the sport, it won’t be the last time this happens. When Caleb Williams took the field for the Chicago Bears' first regular season game against the Tennessee Titans, the anticipation for the rookie's debut game—possibly the most ever—was on full display. Despite a tough debut for the quarterback, the Bears secured a 24-17 win, a notable feat for the rookie. The victory made Williams the first #1 overall pick with a Week 1 win in over 20 years. Going forward this season, Williams is expected to eclipse C.J. Stroud's record-breaking 2023 rookie campaign with the Houston Texans. However, Stroud's success is an anomaly. Drafting a successful quarterback, especially one who is effective right away, is difficult. When teams have a high first-round draft pick, and they're coming off an unsuccessful few seasons, it's assumed that they will use their first pick on a quarterback . That player will assume the title of "the face of the franchise" and will get the central attention, win or lose. To see which quarterbacks have faced that challenge and triumphed, ATS.io compiled a ranking of the 10 best rookie quarterbacks since 1960 using data from StatHead . Rookies were defined as players who are in their first season of professional football and have not been on the roster of another professional team. Quarterbacks were ranked according to adjusted net yards per pass attempt, which quantifies efficient passing skill. Ties were broken using passer rating. Only rookie quarterbacks with at least 10 games played and 200 total passing attempts were considered. Since 1967, 130 quarterbacks have been drafted in the first round. Of those drafted, only 61 have won a playoff game as a starter, according to The Athletic, which used data from NFL Research . The biggest reason this success rate is not guaranteed is because there are differences between college and pro offensive systems. In the collegiate game, the ball is snapped at different points on the field, passing windows are wider, and defenders and linemen are not as quick, making the adjustment to the pro level more difficult. NFL scouts and general managers are gambling on what skills can be transferable and how long those adjustments might take, which is why some teams prefer redshirt quarterbacks to ease the transition. However, just because a team may not want to use their first-round pick on a quarterback, doesn't mean they can't find a diamond in the rough later in the draft. Think about Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, and Dak Prescott, all of which were not first-round picks, but have gone on to make a name for themselves in the NFL. Stacy Revere // Getty Images - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 6.44 - Passer rating: 91.2 - Season stats: 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns, 6 interceptions Coming out of college, Gardner Minshew was not a highly sought-after quarterback for NFL teams. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 draft—a draft that was headlined by Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins, and Daniel Jones. Nonetheless, Minshew's rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars was filled with many accomplishments. He won Rookie of the Week seven times despite not winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Minshew also had the highest passer rating of any rookie quarterback that started in 2019. James Gilbert // Getty Images - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 6.77 - Passer rating: 93.7 - Season stats: 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns, 14 interceptions Pressure was high for Baker Mayfield as the first overall pick in the 2018 draft. When he joined the Cleveland Browns, there was an expectation that once the team figured out the quarterback position, it could be playoff-ready. After trading for Jarvis Landry, a young wide receiver from the Miami Dolphins, in the offseason, the Browns were on their way. Mayfield's rookie season was filled with many firsts, and the Landry-Mayfield connection filled the stat sheet. Mayfield set the record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback in 2019 with 27 surpassing prior marks from Payton Manning and Russell Wilson. Julio Aguilar // Getty Images - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 6.84 - Passer rating: 98.3 - Season stats: 4,336 yards, 31 touchdowns, 10 interceptions Justin Herbert was the third quarterback selected in the 2020 NFL draft behind Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa. As the No. 6 overall pick, expectations were high, but there was also an assumption that it would be a few years before Herbert's development would take shape. Then, Chargers starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor was accidentally punctured in the lung by a team doctor administering a painkiller before the second game of the season, and it wasn't clear what Taylor's status would be moving forward. When Herbert was given the nod to start minutes before the game, fans didn't know what to expect. Herbert shocked viewers when he threw for over 300 yards and only one interception in that game. He continued his strong rookie showing throughout the season and went on to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Harry How // Getty Images - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 6.93 - Passer rating: 98.1 - Season stats: 2,621 yards, 17 touchdowns, 11 interceptions Ben Roethlisberger was the third quarterback selected in his draft class behind the likes of Eli Manning and Philip Rivers—though fans wouldn't have been able to tell. From the moment Roethlisberger was called up by the Pittsburgh Steelers to play in his first game—Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens—it was clear he had a special arm, gaining the nickname "Golden Arm." While the next several games were bumpy for Steelers fans, it was clear that Roethlisberger was the future of the franchise. The Steelers had a solid running game and its receiving core, led by Hines Ward, was one of the best in the league . Once Roethlisberger gained his footing a few games in, he was unstoppable. He led Pittsburgh to its best record ever: 15-1. He also started the season on an eight-game winning streak, becoming the first rookie to do so. Additionally, Roethlisberger became the first quarterback to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Allen Kee // Getty Images - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.01 - Passer rating: 87.7 - Season stats: 3,440 yards, 16 touchdowns, 11 interceptions As the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, there were high expectations on Matt Ryan's shoulders heading to the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons were coming off back-to-back losing seasons and off-the-field legal troubles with its starting quarterback Michael Vick overshadowing the team's play. Ryan was expected to pick up the pieces. He did that immediately, leading the Falcons to an 11-5 record in his rookie season and becoming the clear favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year halfway through the season, which he went on to win. The tag team of Ryan and running back Michael Turner was one of the best offensive forces in the sport that season. Icon Sportswire // Getty Images - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.01 - Passer rating: 100 - Season stats: 3,118 yards, 26 touchdowns, 10 interceptions Russell Wilson was drafted in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Considering Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck headlined the NFL Draft that year, it was not believed that Wilson would be a starter come Week 1, but that quickly changed. Going into the 2012 NFL Draft, Tarvaris Jackson was the Seattle Seahawks' starting quarterback, and the team signed NFL veteran quarterback Matt Flynn as an insurance policy on the injury-prone Jackson . It was assumed in the short term that either Jackson or Flynn would lead the franchise. Once training camp arrived, however, the Seahawks' quarterback position was uncertain. Jackson was traded to the Buffalo Bills, and Flynn was underwhelming at camp, forcing Head Coach Pete Carroll to take a gamble on his rookie quarterback, Wilson, in Week 1. Carroll, nor Wilson, ever looked back. Wilson was one of the best passing quarterbacks that season. He led the Seahawks to an 11-5 record and went on to win NFL Rookie of the Year. Otto Greule Jr // Getty Images - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.39 - Passer rating: 96 - Season stats: 2,210 yards, 20 touchdowns, 6 interceptions When Dan Marino was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 1983, the NFL looked very different. Running the ball was the name of the game. The quarterback would either run the football himself at the line of scrimmage or hand it off to the running back, and the offensive linemen would claw and push the pile forward as the runner powered his legs. It was not a pretty sight. However, Marino took a different approach, throwing the ball with a unique quick release for that era. He led the Dolphins to a 9-1 record after replacing David Woodley midway through his rookie season, ending with a 12-4 record. He went on to win Rookie of the Year and was the first rookie to start a Pro Bowl. Bettmann // Getty Images - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.47 - Passer rating: 100.8 - Season stats: 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, 5 interceptions When C.J. Stroud was drafted No. 2 by the Houston Texans last year, there were a lot of questions, not about his ability, but about the organization that he would be playing for. The Texans were coming off of a 3-13-1 season in 2022, finishing with the worst record in the league, and a lot of volatility in its front office. The team fired its head coach and a top executive before the draft. Weeks later, the team hired former Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans as its next head coach. While Ryans is a defensive-minded coach, Stroud was seen as a key ingredient to the team's success since Ryans hired his coaching staff around the quarterback. Stroud led the NFL in yards and TD-to-interception ratio during his rookie season, which is an efficiency statistic considering he didn't get his first interception until his sixth regular-season game against the New Orleans Saints. While Stroud was a part of the league MVP conversation for most of the season, he didn't ultimately win the title. However, he was named 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and his rookie season is seen as one of the best in NFL history. Ryan Kang // Getty Images - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.47 - Passer rating: 102.4 - Season stats: 3,200 yards, 20 touchdowns, 5 interceptions Leading into the 2012 draft, it wasn't a matter of whether Washington would pick a quarterback, it was a matter of who. After several seasons of mediocre quarterback play and losing seasons from the likes of Jason Campbell, Donovan McNabb, and Rex Grossman, it was time for a new face to lead the offense. At No. 2, Washington selected Robert Griffin III making him the second quarterback selected in the 2012 NFL draft behind Andrew Luck. Griffin started his rookie year campaign with one of the best performances football fans have ever seen. He completed 19 of his 26 pass attempts for 320 yards and 2 touchdowns, beating the New Orleans Saints. That game earned him the highest passer rating by a rookie ever, 158.3. He now shares that record with Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota. Griffin III went on to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012. Rob Carr // Getty Images - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.86 - Passer rating: 104.9 - Season stats: 3,667 yards, 23 touchdowns, 4 interceptions Dak Prescott is statistically the best rookie quarterback ever, racking up the best passer rating as a rookie. After losing his first game, he led the Cowboys on an 11-game winning streak. That season, he led the team to its fourth-best season ever with a 13-3 record. Prescott was the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and became the first NFL quarterback to be drafted in the fourth round or later to start all 16 regular season games. Data reporting by Karim Noorani. Story editing by Shanna Kelly. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Clarese Moller. This story originally appeared on ATS.io and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Wesley Hitt // Getty ImagesSeveral opposition parties have joined forces with the IPC on possibly taking legal action against the Electoral Commission of Namibia over what they say were irregularities in Wednesday’s elections and the two-day extended voting period. In a clarification to The Namibian on Monday evening, AR leader Job Amupanda said his party was exploring its own avenues in taking action. “AR is an entity on its own,” he said. At a press briefing earlier on Monday, Amupanda said his party will not align with other political parties. “We are a serious organisation. It is important for you to discuss and analyse and resolve before you go and meet outsiders. How do we then go already and meet other political parties without making a scientific and objective and subjective assessment of the election? So the first priority for us is to understand and take a position. It’s not our priority to join other political parties or to join other things,” Amupanda said.
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First Look Inside Pier Sixty-Six Residences In Ft. Lauderdale, FloridaNoneIRVING, Texas , Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Commercial Metals Company CMC , in conjunction with its first quarter earnings release for fiscal 2025, invites you to listen to its conference call that will be broadcast live over the Internet on Monday, January 6, 2025 , at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time ( 10:00 a.m. Central) with Peter Matt , President and Chief Executive Officer, and Paul Lawrence , Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The teleconference will also be available via webcast. To access the webcast (in listen-only mode), please visit CMC's Web site at www.cmc.com . About CMC CMC is an innovative solutions provider helping build a stronger, safer, and more sustainable world. Through an extensive manufacturing network principally located in the United States and Central Europe , we offer products and technologies to meet the critical reinforcement needs of the global construction sector. CMC's solutions support construction across a wide variety of applications, including infrastructure, non-residential, residential, industrial, and energy generation and transmission. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cmc-announces-first-quarter-fiscal-2025-conference-call-webcast-details-302326343.html SOURCE Commercial Metals Company © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.The Wall Street Journal releases doco chronicling Liz Truss’ 44-days in office
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Games on a college basketball schedule don't contrast much more than the two NC State has this week. The Wolfpack (6-3) host Coppin State (0-10) on Tuesday in Raleigh, N.C., then hit the road to challenge No. 10 Kansas on Saturday. NC State enters its unusual week after snapping a three-game skid with an 84-74 overtime win at home Saturday against Florida State in its Atlantic Coast Conference opener. Transfers Marcus Hill and Dontrez Styles each had their season high, scoring 23 and 21 points, respectively. They scored 13 of NC State's 14 points in overtime. "Dontrez Styles was tremendous," Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts said. "In the second half, he made play after play." Hill, who was the top scorer last year at Bowling Green (20.5 points per game), and Styles, who was the second-leading scorer last year at Georgetown (12.8 ppg), combined to hit 14 of 25 shots and pull down 11 rebounds. The win followed defeats to then-No. 13 Purdue and BYU, both by double-digit margins, in the Rady Children's Invitational and a 63-59 loss to Texas in the SEC/ACC Challenge. "The little things that impact the game are defending, making free throws and blocking out," Keatts said. "We handled that much better than we did against Texas." Coppin State arrives in Raleigh on a 23-game losing streak dating to January -- the longest current run of futility in Division I. Each of the Eagles' losses this season have come by double-digit margins, though they have been more competitive lately, falling to Baltimore rival Loyola (Md.) 68-57 and at Wagner 65-52 last week. Julius Ellerbe III has been one of Coppin's most reliable players lately, scoring a combined 20 points in the last two games. He had 16 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to George Mason last month. Teammate Peter Oduro recorded a double-double, with 16 points and 10 rebounds, in last month's loss at Saint Joseph's. "These things take time," Coppin State second-year coach Larry Stewart said. "It takes time to establish your culture. It takes time to get the right players in your system." --Field Level MediaALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggled with deputies and shouted Tuesday while arriving for a court appearance in Pennsylvania, a day after he was arrested at a McDonald’s and charged with murder. Luigi Nicholas Mangione emerged from a patrol car, spun toward reporters and shouted something partly unintelligible referring to an “insult to the intelligence of the American people” while deputies pushed him inside. Prosecutors were beginning to take steps to bring Mangione back to New York to face a murder charge while new details emerged about his life and how he was captured. The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family was charged with murder hours after he was arrested in the killing of Brian Thompson , who led the United States’ largest medical insurance company. Local defense lawyer Thomas Dickey, who is expected to represent Mangione, declined comment before Tuesday's hearing at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg. Mangione likely was motivated by his anger with what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed, a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press said. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive health care system in the world and that profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of his hand-written notes and social media posts. Mangione called “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski a “political revolutionary” and may have found inspiration from the man who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology, according to police bulletin. Mangione remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was initially charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Manhattan prosecutors have obtained an arrest warrant, a step that could help expedite his extradition from Pennsylvania. Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania — about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of New York City — after a McDonald's customer recognized him and notified an employee, authorities said. Officers found him sitting at a back table, wearing a blue medical mask and looking at a laptop, according to a Pennsylvania police criminal complaint. He initially gave them a fake ID, but when an officer asked Mangione whether he’d been to New York recently, he “became quiet and started to shake,” the complaint says. When he pulled his mask down at officers' request, “we knew that was our guy,” rookie Officer Tyler Frye said. Images of Mangione released Tuesday by Pennsylvania State Police showed him pulling down his mask in the corner of the McDonald's while holding what appeared to be hash browns and wearing a winter jacket and beanie. In another photo from a holding cell, he stood unsmiling with rumpled hair. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Mangione was carrying a gun like the one used to kill Thompson and the same fake ID the shooter had used to check into a New York hostel, along with a passport and other fraudulent IDs. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione also had a three-page, handwritten document that shows “some ill will toward corporate America." A law enforcement official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity said the document included a line in which Mangione claimed to have acted alone. “To the Feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone,” the document said, according to the official. It also had a line that said, “I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.” Pennsylvania prosecutor Peter Weeks said in court that Mangione was found with a passport and $10,000 in cash, $2,000 of it in foreign currency. Mangione disputed the amount. Thompson, 50, was killed Wednesday as he walked alone to a Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. Police quickly came to see the shooting as a targeted attack by a gunman who appeared to wait for Thompson, came up behind him and fired a 9 mm pistol. Investigators have said “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on ammunition found near Thompson's body. The words mimic “delay, deny, defend,” a phrase used to criticize the insurance industry . From surveillance video, New York investigators determined the shooter quickly fled fled the city, likely by bus. A grandson of a wealthy, self-made real estate developer and philanthropist, Mangione is a cousin of a current Maryland state legislator. Valedictorian at his elite Baltimore prep school, he went on to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a spokesperson said. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media late Monday by his cousin, Maryland Del. Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” From January to June 2022, Luigi Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Honolulu. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin. “Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints,” Ryan said. "There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed.” At Surfbreak, Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, from surfing to romance, Ryan said. “He went surfing with R.J. once but it didn’t work out because of his back," Ryan said, but noted that Mangione and Martin often went together to a rock-climbing gym. Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago. ___ Scolforo reported from Altoona and Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Contributing were Associated Press writers Cedar Attanasio and Jennifer Peltz in New York; Michael Rubinkam and Maryclaire Dale in Pennsylvania; Lea Skene in Baltimore; and Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
