(Undated) — Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and Michigan hold the top-four spots in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings. Georgia is fifth, followed by Oklahoma, LSU, Washington State, West Virginia and Ohio State. The top-four at the end of the year play in the national semifinals.
>>Champions Classic Helps Tip Off College Basketball
(Indianapolis, IN) — College basketball is underway. Top-ranked Kansas held off number-10 Michigan State 92-87 in the Champions Classic in Indianapolis. Number-three Duke dominated second-ranked Kentucky 118-84 in the nightcap. Defending champ Villanova mauled Morgan State 100-77.
(Champaign, IL) — The Illinois men’s basketball team opens the regular season tomorrow night at home against Evansville. The Illini welcome back Trent Frazier, the team’s lead returning scorer. Illinois finished 14-and-18 last season.
>>Blackhawks Fire Quenneville
(Chicago, IL) — The NHL’s longest-tenured head coach is out of a job. The Blackhawks have fired Joel Quenneville [[ KWEN-vill ]] with the team in the midst of a five-game losing streak. Coach Q had been with Chicago since 2008 and guided the franchise to three Stanley Cup championships.
(St. Louis, MO) — Ryan O’Reilly scored his first NHL hat trick to lead the Blues to a 4-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Enterprise Center. Robby Fabbri also lit the lamp and Chad Johnson made 38 saves for St. Louis, which has won three of its last four. The Blues improved to 5-5-and-3. They are back home Friday to face the Sharks.
>>Yankees Bringing Back Sabathia With One-Year Deal
(Bronx, NY) — CC Sabathia is returning to the Bronx for another season. Multiple reports say the 38-year-old left-hander has agreed to a one-year, eight-million-dollar deal with the Yankees. Sabathia went 9-and-7 with a 3.65 ERA in 29 starts this season. Next year will be his 11th with New York.
>>LaMelo Ball To Play HS Ball In Ohio
(Undated) — LaMelo Ball is returning from overseas and will play high school basketball in Ohio. The youngest of the Ball brothers had been playing professionally in Lithuania, but tweeted he will enroll at Spire Institute in Geneva to complete his senior season and earn his high school diploma.