Emoni Bates arrested with loaded gun in his car.

Aaron Judge’s MVP case should not even be a debate​

By Jon Heyman

MILWAUKEE — This MVP debate is getting a little wacky. It may be the most heated argument ever, at least among arguments that ended weeks ago. Or should have.

Angels interim manager Phil Nevin says he loves Aaron Judge like a son but picks Shohei Ohtani for MVP. Hopefully, Judge’s father has a clearer mind and stronger family values.

Judge hit two more home runs Sunday — one an opposite-field, upper-deck job, the other up near Bernie’s Chalet in left — and now has 59 homers in a season like no one’s ever had before and is almost sure to break Roger Maris’ American League record of 61 homers. But I really can’t blame Nevin. Considering the Angels are worse under him than Joe Maddon, it wouldn’t be wise from a job-security standpoint to pick the other guy. A son, even an imagined one, can’t get revenge. But an employer certainly can.

The MVP discussion is getting crazy on the internet. I was called everything from a meanie to a typical New Yorker (that may be the same thing, not sure) after my column Friday correctly stating there’s West Coast bias in the voting. Let me go over this once more. If there’s East Coast bias, how to explain the Angels winning four MVP awards in a decade without winning a playoff game? The Yankees are almost the opposite: five rings since 1996, two MVP awards.

Almost no one not currently employed by the Angels or living in Orange County, Calif. actually believes someone other than Judge could be MVP. Roger Lodge, the former “Blind Date” guy who has a nice Angels-centric talk show in the OC, tweeted Ohtani should win. And now comes Nevin, the former Yankees coach who’d become former Angels manager if he took up the case for Judge. There are a few others spouting strange logic.

The odds boards now put Judge at 1-200 to win. But from an odds standpoint, this is like betting on Secretariat in a maiden claiming race. Here’s one time I’d risk a lot for a little.

Aaron Boone, as unbiased as Nevin, called Judge’s year “a season for the ages.” But Boone doesn’t need to stump for Judge. One, Boone’s job isn’t in jeopardy (sorry to the blood-thirsty Yankee fans among you). And two, it’s obvious Judge will win.

“I understand there’s going to be a storyline over the next couple weeks who deserves MVP,” Anthony Rizzo said, “This hasn’t been done in this era, someone chasing 61 [homers] clean like this and really no question marks about what’s going on in the game. It’s really impressive.

“I know there’s a debate about Ohtani. But it’s [Judge’s] season. It’s his special season.”

Judge’s season, already not to be believed, gets better by the day. He smoked No. 58 off Brewers starter Jason Alexander (his real name, not that there’s anything wrong with it) and No. 59 off reliever Luis Perdomo, putting Babe Ruth’s biggest season within a swing of striking distance, assuming pitchers dare to keep pitching to him. The awards, the chase, “it’s all noise,” to Judge. “If it happens at home, that’ll be great. But we will talk about it when it happens.”

Umpire Gabe Morales threw out a specially marked ball for history before Judge’s final at-bat — Judge is so focused he said he didn’t even notice — but alas, he only lined a double to left, giving him a four-hit day and raising his average to .316, one point behind AL leader Luis Arraez for the batting title and Triple Crown. Thanks to Judge, the first-place Yankees’ hung on to a series-salvaging 12-8 win Sunday in a matchup of the journeyman Alexander versus. ace Gerrit Cole, who now leads the AL with 29 homers allowed. (Side note: I’d like to see the Yankees try to make the fancy argument Judge is worth less than Cole, who got $324 million.)

In terms of value in 2022, there’s no way to say anyone affected the race like Judge, leading MLB in runs, RBIs, one-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS and total bases and almost single-handedly propping the Yankees up while everyone around him is aching, ailing or hoping to return soon. The Yankees are six games under since the break while Judge is putting together a fantasy half.

He was MVP front-runner in the first half when he had a .983 OPS. Since the break, it’s higher than 1.300, which truly is unreal. While he hasn’t tried pitching, his Fangraphs WAR is about to hit 10 off this game, which would put him with Mike Trout and Mookie Betts as the only active players to reach that height.

Ohtani is incredible and obviously doing two things exceptionally well but his WAR is about 10 percent lower than Judge’s. Ohtani also hasn’t affected the standings as the Angels have been out of it since June. So to recap: Ohtani is less good this year, and much less valuable.

No bias here. But if Judge gets fewer than 28 votes — all but the presumed two coming out of Angels central — something is wrong.

19. New York Giants (2-0)​

Week 2 ranking: 24

Biggest early adjustment: Find a No. 1 WR

It could be Kadarius Toney. He handled a bigger workload in Week 2, but still had just two catches for zero yards. It could be Kenny Golladay, who saw just two snaps Sunday, or Sterling Shepard, who leads the Giants with 14 targets through two weeks. Or Richie James, who leads the team with 10 catches for 110 yards. As coach Brian Daboll said after this week's win over Carolina, there were will a "continual competition" at wide receiver to determine playing time and ultimately targets. But someone needs to step up. -- Jordan Raanan

29. New York Jets (1-1)​

Week 2 ranking: 32

Biggest early adjustment: Give the ball to Michael Carter and Breece Hall more

The Jets are too pass-reliant, which explains why Carter and Hall have combined for only 30 carries through two games. And it's not like they're not productive -- the duo is averaging 5.2 yards per carry. If the Jets want to make serious noise this season, they have to get back to their roots -- balance on offense. That will be especially important when quarterback Zach Wilson (knee) returns to the lineup, which could be Week 4. -- Rich Cimini

NEW YORK – Seton Hall's Johannes Pex (Stephansposching, Germany) was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll, the conference announced on Monday.

Pex scored the equalizing goal in each of the Pirates' matches last week. The senior's goal on Tuesday against Army came on a shot from outside the box which found the back post to level the score at 1-1. Then in Saturday's 2-2 draw against No. 24 Xavier, Pex scored the game-tying PK in the 90th minute as the Pirates scored twice in the final six minutes of the match. Pex has scored in back-to-back matches for the first time since last season, when he netted goals against Delaware and NC State in consecutive games.

The Pirates continue BIG EAST play on Saturday, as they travel north to Providence to face the Friars at 7 p.m.

Tavana tabbed to BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll​

South Orange, N.J. - For the second consecutive week, senior goalkeeper Grace Gordon (Chester Springs, Pa.) has been named BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week after a 10-save, shutout performance in a 3-0 week over Columbia on Thursday.

Freshman Emma Sheehan (Argyle, Texas) was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week and sophomore Natalie Tavana (Middletown, Conn.) was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.

Gordon posted her fourth consecutive clean sheet last week and she was a force in the Pirates' win over the Lions. She had a season-high 10 saves on 20 shots faced and now leads the BIG EAST with 28 saves. Of Gordon's 10 saves, six came in the second half. She has now earned conference keeper of the week honors three times in her career.

Sheehan had the game-winning goal in the win over Columbia as the Pirates improved to 4-2-2 on the year. The freshman forward had three shots in the match and got two of them on goal. Sheehan scored the first goal of the match with hers coming in the 14th minute.

Tavana had one goal and two assists in Seton Hall's 3-0 win against Columbia as she tied for first in the league in points last week with four (1g, 2a).

The Pirates open BIG EAST play at home this week starting with Providence at 6 p.m. The first 250 fans in attendance will recieve a Seton Hall soccer scarf.

NEW YORK –Seton Hall's Asli Subasili (Tekirdag, Turkey) was named BIG EAST Women's Volleyball Freshman of the Week on Monday.

It's already the second time she has earned the distinction this year.

Subasili continued her remarkable freshman season last weekend during the three matches of the Seton Hall Classic. The middle blocker led The Hall with 1.70 blocks per set, while also continuing to assert herself in the serving game. On Friday against Central Connecticut State, Subasili had five blocks, three kills and two service aces. Against Dartmouth on Saturday, she erupted for seven blocks, four service aces and a kill. She rounded out the weekend with five more blocks and two kills against NJIT.

Subasili is currently tied for the BIG EAST lead with 1.21 blocks per set and ranks fifth in the conference with 0.42 aces per set.

Xavier's Carrigan O'Reilly was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week, while Creighton's Allison Whitten earned Defensive Player of the Week. The Weekly Honor Roll consists of Creighton's Kendra Wait, Marquette's Aubrey Hamilton, St. John's Rachele Rastelli, Connecticut's Caylee Parker and Villanova's Izzy Plummer.

Seton Hall will return to action this weekend when it opens the BIG EAST Conference portion of its schedule. The Pirates will host Connecticut on Friday and Providence on Saturday. Both matches will begin at 6:00 p.m. and be streamed live by the Pirate Sports Network and shown on FloSports.

No brainer....there would be sellouts at the...

By Adam Zagoria | For NJ Advance Media


Seton Hall head coach Shaheen Holloway and the Pirates were picked sixth in the Big East by Lindy's.


The Lindy’s College Basketball preview magazine is out and the Big East picks are in.


Under first-year coach Shaheen Holloway, Seton Hall was picked sixth in the 11-team Big East Conference.


Creighton, which ranks No. 4 nationally in the Lindy’s Top 10 behind North Carolina, Houston and Gonzaga, was picked to win the conference.


Here’s the full Lindy’s Big East poll:


1. Creighton
2. Villanova
3. UConn
4. Xavier
5. Providence
6. Seton Hall
7. St. John’s
8. Butler
9. Marquette
10. Georgetown
11. DePaul


Holloway said in a phone interview this week his team has been limited in its ability to practice 5-on-5 due to injuries to several players, including Alexis Yetna, transfer Abdou Ndiaye and freshman JaQuan Harris. He said none of the injuries are major, but have still kept the players sidelined.

If the 6-foot-8 Yetna and the 6-9 Ndiaye are healthy, Seton Hall will have an imposing and diverse frontcourt that also features 6-7 Saint Peter’s transfer KC Ndefo, 6-10 senior Tray Jackson and 6-10 senior Tyrese Samuel.

“We’re not really tall but I got some good size where I can play them in different spots,” Holloway said of his frontcourt players.

“I’ve been letting those guys know, ‘Listen, you guys are my guys, I’m going to rock with you guys,’” Holloway added. “‘I believe in you guys.”

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Giants vs. Panthers: Preview, predictions, what to watch for​

By Paul Schwartz

An inside look at Sunday’s Giants-Panthers Week 2 matchup at MetLife Stadium.

Marquee matchup​

Panthers WR D.J. Moore vs. Giants CB Adoree’ Jackson

Yes, we know Robbie Anderson had a big day in the season-opener — a 75-yard touchdown reception doesn’t hurt — but Moore is the main threat here. He had a career-high 93 receptions in 2021, and in 2020 he averaged 18.1 yards per catch.

Will Jackson shadow Moore all game? This will be a battle of former first-round draft picks.

Jackson is coming off a fine opening game, showing physical play as a tackler that is not always a part of his approach.

Paul’s pick​

The Giants did a great job containing Derrick Henry in Week 1, but Christian McCaffrey is much more of a receiving threat and the Titans did score two touchdowns when a running back broke free in the secondary. How long can this defense get by without injured pass rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari? Maybe Saquon Barkley will be the difference, again.

Giants 24, Panthers 22

Four downs​

Bully pulpit: Teammates were pumped seeing LB Tae Crowder send Derrick Henry to the ground with a punishing hit last week. “Hit a bully, you know what I’m saying?’’ defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence told The Post. Next up: Christian McCaffrey. Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale likened Henry to Jim Brown and McCaffrey to Barry Sanders.

“He’s slippery,’’ Lawrence said of McCaffrey. “He avoids the bully. For me, a running back is a running back. McCaffery is just a little more shifty in how he does it, he can get out and catch the ball also. It’s the same plan, getting 11 to the ball, stopping him before he gets going and controlling the line of scrimmage. That’s how you kind of contain a running back.’’

New QB on the scene: Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield did not come out on top last week in an emotional game against the Browns, the team that made him the No. 1-overall pick in the 2018 draft — and traded him away earlier this year. Mayfield struggled early in his Panthers debut. He knows Martindale’s defense from their years together in the AFC North, when Martindale was with the Ravens.

“I said before when he first came out, playing against him, he’s a gunslinger,’’ Martindale said. “Who did they always call gunslinger? Brett Favre. Right? And what did Brett Favre do? He left Atlanta, went to Green Bay, and he took off. Might be the same thing here for Baker.’’

And now for the encore: An even heavier workload for Saquon Barkley? He embarked on his contract year with a brilliant performance, rushing for 164 yards and a touchdown, catching a team-high six passes and scoring the winning points on a 2-point conversion shovel pass. The Panthers were shredded on the ground in the season-opening loss to the Browns, allowing 217 rushing yards — 141 by Nick Chubb. The Titans last week did not load up the box on defense to stop Barkley. The Panthers might.

“I think you plan for it,’’ offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said. “I don’t know exactly what they are going to do. I think you plan for those things and you’ve got to have answers within the scheme and within the game plan.’’

Cornering the market: Cornerback Aaron Robinson was one of the biggest question marks in the Giants’ starting lineup heading into this season. He held up fine against the Titans, but is out after having his appendix removed. That makes an already thin position darn-near emaciated. Rookie Cor’Dale Flott is one option. Justin Layne, who spent three years with the Steelers, is another. The most experienced option is Fabian Moreau, 28. He started 16 games for the Falcons in 2021 and could go from the practice squad to a starting spot.

“He knows this league and the receivers in this league and how to play,’’ defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson said. “He’s a good add for us.’’

How the New York Jets turned a 99.9% chance of losing into a win over the Cleveland Browns​

CLEVELAND -- A strange thing happened on the New York Jets' bench Sunday when they fell behind by 13 points on Nick Chubb's touchdown run with 1:55 remaining in their game against the Cleveland Browns. They started to believe a miracle comeback was possible.

"They gave us our only chance," receivers coach Miles Austin yelled to his players amid the din of a roaring FirstEnergy Stadium -- a sentiment shared by the entire sideline.

Some chance.

At that point, the Cleveland Browns had a win probability of 99.9%, according to ESPN Analytics. The Jets took their 0.1% and ran with it, pulling out a win for the ages, 31-30. They scored two touchdowns to become the first team since the 2001 Chicago Bears to win after trailing by 13 points in the final two minutes.

Six plays swung the game from a near-certain Cleveland victory to the Jets' biggest win since 2015, their last winning season. A closer look at six plays than spanned 115 fateful seconds:

Chubb rumbles around left end for a 12-yard touchdown, eluding cornerback D.J. Reed in the backfield and breaking a tackle attempt by safety Lamarcus Joyner at the 1-yard line. It turns out to be a mistake. Chubb should've stopped short of the end zone, which would've allowed the Browns to run out the clock. The Jets had no timeouts remaining. Score: Browns 30, Jets 17. Jets' probability to lose: 99.9%.

Jets coach Robert Saleh: "I've never been so happy for a missed tackle in my life. That was our only chance."

Reed: "It happened at the right time [smiles]. Serious, though: Chubb is probably the best running back to play the game. Lot of respect for that dude."

Jets quarterback Joe Flacco: "Obviously, when he scores, you're thinking, 'OK, that is not what he's supposed to do.' But I'm sure [the Browns] are thinking, 'OK, it's 30-17.'"

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski: "That's on me to communicate that to the huddle. Having said that, we need to close that game out.”

After Chubb's touchdown, Browns rookie Cade York -- the hero after last week's game-winning field goal from 58 yards -- misses the extra point. Another opening for the Jets.

York: “I thought I hit it good. ... I was upset that I missed, and I thought I hit it well off the foot. I do not know why it took off right on me. Definitely was not a thought [it would cost us the game]. You just can’t get ahead of yourself in the NFL. Games are so close that you have to make everything that you can.”

On the ensuing possession, Flacco finds a wide-open Corey Davis down the right sideline for a 66-yard touchdown with 1:22 remaining. It's a busted coverage by the Browns. Cornerback Denzel Ward passes off Davis, perhaps thinking he has deep help -- except there is none. Safety Grant Delpit is cheating toward the middle of the field, picking up receiver Garrett Wilson. Score: Browns 30, Jets 24. Jets' probability to lose: 98.7%.

Davis: "It was a double move. I'm not sure [what happened]. I think they busted and we scored and we won."

Flacco: "When I threw it, it was like, 'Oh, my gosh ... no one is anywhere near him.' It was really a weird feeling because of how quiet it got down in there. Obviously, we're in Cleveland, so it makes sense, but that feeling was something I'd never felt before, how quiet it actually got out there."

Stefanski: "Obviously guys [were] not on the same page. It was very, very clear what we're doing. We talked about it on the sideline, before everybody went out. We talked to the entire defense about what they're about to do, which was try to throw it over our head. We can't let that happen."

Browns defensive end Myles Garrett: "I can't explain it. Those kind of plays are unacceptable."

Browns safety John Johnson III: “You want to be an elite team ... things like that can’t happen. It’s unacceptable.”

On the ensuing kickoff, the Jets execute the perfect onside play, with Braden Mann uncorking a hard-to-catch sidewinder that was recovered by the Jets' Justin Hardee. Will Parks plays a key role, blasting Amari Cooper just as the ball arrives. It creates a mad scramble. Jets' probability to lose: 81.2%.

Hardee: "We were going out for the play and my guy Will Parks was like, 'Man, I'm gonna smack Amari Cooper. I'm gonna keep the ball alive for you all.' Once the ball was twirling around, all I see is the guy who was supposed to catch it -- and missed it. Another guy, it bounced off his hands. Once it touched my hands, it wasn’t going nowhere else. ... I have never been part of a play like that."

Saleh: "The onsides kick, with the new rules, have been so rare. Once that happened, there was no doubt that we were going to score once we got the ball."

Stefanski: "Well executed by them."

After Hardee's recovery, the Jets run eight plays before Flacco fires a 15-yard touchdown strike to Wilson, taking the lead with 22 seconds left. It's Wilson's second touchdown, capping an eight-catch, 102-yard day. Score: Jets 31, Browns 30. Jets' probability to lose: 2.5%.

Reed: "[Wilson's] got that Justin Jefferson vibe."

Flacco: "When [offensive coordinator] Mike [LaFleur] called the play through my headset, I had a smile inside. That's one of our staples. Their safeties were tight, but they were playing pretty soft. They were playing so soft that I was throwing that ball no matter what."

Wilson: "I went crazy [after the onsides kick]. I'm sure there will be a TV clip. I went absolutely crazy on the sideline. I didn't want my [earlier] drop to be the reason why we lost the game."


The Browns get to their 46-yard line with 12 seconds left, needing one more long completion to get into field-goal range. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett throws for Cooper, but it's intercepted by seldom-used safety Ashtyn Davis at the Jets' 36 to seal the improbable comeback. Final score: Jets 31, Browns 30.

Linebacker C.J. Mosley: "Whew! There were a lot of emotions, enough to realize I didn’t even know we had won the game after the interception. There was a lot going on. ... When Ashtyn got the interception, it was like, 'No, we need more yards, don't go down.' I thought it was a tie game. I didn’t know they missed the extra point."

Davis: "I’ll take 'em however I can get 'em. [Brissett] was staring down the dig [route], so I just jumped the window. It was pretty straightforward for me."

It was Davis' only defensive snap of the game.

STATE COLLEGE, PA. – Sophomore Ana Sarrias Pro (Cadiz, Spain) shot an even-par, 72, in the final round of the Nittany Lion Invitational to pace the Seton Hall women's golf team to a 13th place finish on Sunday.

Sarrias Pro had four birdies and 10 pars in route to an even-par, 72, in round three to tie for 36th place overall. For the tournament, she was 11-over-par with a 79-76-72-227.

As a team, Seton Hall shot a 22-over-par, 310, on Sunday. The Pirates finished their second tournament of the year with a 52-over-par, 305-301-310-916. Host Penn State ran away with the team title at 3-under-par. Seton Hall's lone BIG EAST competition, Butler, finished seventh at 35-over-par.

Graduate student Sarah Fouratt (Santa Maria, Calif.) was the top individual Pirate for the tournament. On Sunday, she used 14 pars to fuel a 4-over-par, 76. For the tournament, she tied for 32nd place overall with a 10-over-par, 79-71-76-226.

Freshman Ashni Solanki (Melbourne, Australia) rounded out her second collegiate tournament with a 9-over-par, 81, in round three. For the two-day event, she was 17-over-par with a 75-77-81-233.

Junior Ginevra Zavagli (Rome, Italy) had a 9-over-par, 81, in round three. For the tournament, she was 21-over-par with a 73-83-81-237.

Senior Ludovica Busetto (Padova, Italy) shot a 13-over-par, 85, on Sunday. For the two-day event, she was 24-over-par with a 78-77-85-240.

Two Pirates were playing as individuals in their first collegiate tournaments. Anne-Sofie Ekman (Copenhagen, Denmark) finished with a 27-over-par, 84-80-79-243. Lara Todorovic (Belgrade, Serbia) turned in the best round of her young career, a 6-over-par, 78. She is 31-over-par with an 85-84-78-247.

Tournament Details:
NITTANY LION INVITATIONAL
Host: Penn State University
Location: State College, Pa.
Course: Penn State Golf Courses (Blue Course)
Course Vitals: Par-72, 6,402 yards
Dates: September 17-18, 2022, Three Rounds


THE COURSE:
Situated deep in the rolling terrain of central Pennsylvania, another world of exhilarating golf awaits you! A place where carefully designed courses harmonize with the natural beauty of the surroundings. A place that will drive you to partake the challenges of the game you love. The Penn State Golf Courses are ready to offer you the very best the game has to offer. Take a trip up our tree-lined drive and experience the finest in course facilities and personalized service. We also offer an award-winning driving-range with the Golf Range Association of America since 2012, with four practice putting greens, a bunker area, and 32 artificial driving range stalls with ample targets on the range.

The relaxing atmosphere continues right off the greens and into the Walker Clubhouse. In this 6,000 sq. ft. facility you'll find a complete Golf Shop filled with the latest in quality golf equipment and merchandise. Let our golf professionals share with you their expertise and answer any of your questions. Next to the Golf Shop is The Nineteenth Hole Cafe. This snack area offers a variety of food and snacks for a quick bite or a relaxing meal. The Cafe's open dining area overlooks the courses and provides the perfect compliments to a round of golf.

THE FIELD:
In addition to Seton Hall and host Penn State, the field was comprised of 14 other teams including: Boston College, Bradley, Bucknell, Central Michigan, Columbia, Eastern Kentucky, High Point, Kennesaw State, Navy, Richmond, Toledo, Towson and Youngstown State. Also in the field is BIG EAST opponent, Butler.

UP NEXT:
Seton Hall will return to tournament play next weekend when it plays three rounds of golf at the Princeton Invitational at Springdale Golf Club, September 24-25.

Jets finally win a game in September for the first time since 2018, coming back from down 13 late in the 4th quarter with no timeouts.

Mets win big late. deGrom fans 13 in 5 innings.

Judge goes 4-5 with 2 more homeruns. Now at 59.

Giants 2-0 for the first time since 2016.

Still having issues getting over JP's passing...

Last night at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers Bob Ley donated $2M to SHU for its Sports Media program. A who's who was in attendance including Robin Roberts who was given the first-ever Lifetime Professional Achievement Award.

Upon getting the honor she, as did Ley previously, was given a standing ovation. She took the mike and looked at Ley and said, see, I got the same standing ovation you got and it didn't cost me $2M.

College athlete education woefully lacking decades after Dexter Manley​

By Phil Mushnick

On May 18, 1989, Dexter Manley left the nation in shock — at least those who didn’t know the score until then — when he testified before a U.S. Senate panel on literacy.

Manley, at the time, was a star NFL defensive end with Washington. Before that, he’d academically matriculated to become a senior at Oklahoma State under head coach Jimmy Johnson, who later coached in the NFL then landed with Fox Sports.

On that day, Manley revealed that his entire experience as a full scholarship college student-athlete was fraudulent, as he could neither read nor write.

Manley did have a learning disability, making it a greater challenge to succeed in, or even gain admission, to most universities. Yet the system predictably failed him.

Many were left in shock, aghast. Moral outrage as promulgated by the national news media followed.

And that gnashing of teeth over such a sickening win-at-all-costs story lasted about, oh, a week.

Then it was back to big-time college football and basketball business as usual, universities serving as fronts for teams assembled by whatever-it-takes design — including loopholes, winks and nods.

By 1989, TV money had been long established as the root of both semi-literacy and growing criminality among “student-athletes,” thus the incentive to act on Manley’s sorrowful tale was zilch.

The enablers, such as ESPN, made no value judgments beyond national rankings and popularity as to which schools to schedule.

In fact, in an astounding piece of on-air rationalization, ESPN college basketball know-it-all Jay Bilas once declared that it’s not important if recruited players attend classes because just being on campus improves “socialization skills.”

Then there was the University of North Carolina academic scandal, in which athletic recruits, across 18 years, maintained eligibility with A grades in no-show or fabricated courses. Rashad McCants, first-round NBA pick in 2005, claimed that after nearly flunking out, he made UNC’s academic Dean’s List — four A’s included — without attending a class. That claim was refuted by some teammates and coaches.

Today, and virtually every day and for too many consecutive years, NFL and NBA players, not long out of college, demonstrate their minimal literacy and absence of social skills.

Last Sunday, following the Bears’ win over the 49ers, Chicago defensive back Jaylon Johnson, a three-year University of Utah man, was asked to assess the play of opposing QB Trey Lance.

Johnson: “He ain’t do s–t.”

Latest in an endless series.

This is what big-ticket college football and basketball increasingly produces. And for those uneducated semi-literates or without social skills — all college men — the overwhelming majority of whom don’t make the pros can return from where they were recruited.

No upside, all down. Dexter Manley’s shocking Senate testimony was barely worth a shrug.

Texas spent $280,000 on Arch Manning recruitment weekend​

By Ryan Glasspiegel

Everything is bigger in Texas, including the recruiting red carpet.

On the weekend of June 17, Arch Manning and eight other recruits took visits to Austin. Through FOIA requests, The Athletic revealed that the school spent $280,000 on the weekend.

Some of the expenses included over $21,000 on travel, including airfare and car service; $46,696 on 34 hotel rooms for recruits and their families plus some Texas coaches and staffers; $17,319.71 on a lunch buffet plus $1,813.74 in additional desserts and snacks (the scene was described as “enough sugar to make Willy Wonka blush”); $3,359.12 to rent speakers to play music on the field (piping it through the stadium PA would’ve caused acoustic issues in a mostly-empty venue).

Then there was $29,129.40 on a dinner buffet; $11,880 on a “social” between parents and coaches, which included an open bar; $10,226 on a breakfast buffet; $9,497.72 at TopGolf; $36,900 for dinner at the swanky III Forks Steakhouse; and $2,357.50 on a cruise on Lady Bird Lake.

The $280,000 tab on this weekend was actually smaller than the expenditures for the weekend after, when Texas dropped $350,000 on a weekend for 14 potential recruits.

In the end, Texas landed Manning. If he plays anything like the previous quarterbacks in his family — as the son of Cooper, he is the grandson of Archie and nephew of Peyton and Eli — Texas will presumably get back exponentially more in donations than they spent.

Already, the Longhorns have reaped the benefits in their recruiting, receiving a number of commitments in the wake of Manning’s.

“The goal right after I committed was to get good players,” Manning told the Dallas Morning News. “It’s been fun just getting on the phone with guys. Hopefully we can keep building this class.

Manning will be a freshman in Austin next season, with the pressure of being next in a line of quarterbacks with four Super Bowl wins, three Super Bowl MVPs, five league MVP awards, two NFL Man of the Year awards and 20 Pro Bowls over 47 combined pro seasons. He’ll also have NIL deals to consider and Texas’ move to the SEC looming in 2025.

“I’m just worried about playing football right now,” he said. “My dad’s been dealing with that. I committed to play football and be a student, so that’s what I’m going to Texas to do.”

The Hall finishes the non-conference portion of its schedule at 9-3, it's best mark since 2014.​

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Perri Lucas (Chicago, Ill.), Bianca Bucciarelli (Carate Brianza, Italy) and Jenna Walsh (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) all reached double-digits in kills as the Seton Hall women's volleyball team swept NJIT, 3-0 (25-17, 25-15, 25-21), to claim the Seton Hall Classic title on Saturday.

Seton Hall went a perfect 3-0 during the tournament, dropping only one set, to finish the non-conference portion of their schedule with a strong 9-3 record. Walsh was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Lucas led all players with 13 kills to go with only one attack error and a .667 attack percentage. Bucciarelli had 10 kills, only two attack errors, four digs and two blocks. Walsh had 10 kills and only three attack errors.

SET 1:
The Hall held NJIT to a .000 attack percentage in the first set. With the score tied at 10, the Pirates went on a 9-2 run, and a block by Asli Subasili (Tekirdag, Turkey) give them a commanding 19-12 advantage. The Highlanders closed the gap to 21-17, but The Hall scored the final four points of the match. A block by Hanna Tulli (Collegeville, Pa.) and Julia Wilkins (Mason, Ohio) put The Hall in set point, and Wilkins followed with the set-winning kill.

SET 2:
NJIT scored the first point of the second set, but never led again. The Pirates went on a 10-0 run to assert itself early and went on to rout the Highlanders in set two. NJIT closed to within five, 11-6, but The Hall responded with a 7-2 run to extend its lead back up to 18-8. The Pirates attacked at a .452 clip in set two in route to a 25-15 victory.

SET 3:
The final set was the closest of the match, but the Pirates' offense was simply too potent for NJIT. The Hall had 16 kills, only two attack errors and a match-high .500 attack percentage in the final set. Trailing 17-14, The Hall went on a 6-0 run, and a kill by Tulli put the Pirates on top, 20-17. The Highlanders made a late run and cut their deficit to 21-20, but The Hall closed out the match with four of the final five points. The night ended on back-to-back kills by Lucas.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Lucas had a match-high 13 kills, only one attack error and a team-best .667 attack percentage.
• Bucciarelli tallied 10 kills, only two attack errors, a .364 attack percentage, four digs and two blocks.
• Walsh had 10 kills, only three attack errors and a .467 attack percentage.
• Tulli erupted for a career-high nine kills, only three attack errors and a .429 attack percentage.
• Taylor Jakubowski (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) had a team-high 25 assists to go with three digs.
• Subasili recorded five blocks and two kills.
• Sophomore Anna Holland (Waukesha, Wis.) had a match-high 13 digs.
• Seton Hall recorded a .429 attack percentage for the match, while NJIT attacked at .129.
• The Pirates had 47 kills, while the Highlanders recorded 29.
• The Hall tallied 34 digs, while the NJIT had 18.
• The Pirates had 6.0 total blocks, while NJIT had 4.0.

NEWS & NOTES:

• Seton Hall improves to 9-3 on the young season, while NJIT drops to 3-12.
• The Pirates finish the non-conference portion of their schedule with a record of 9-3, their best non-conference mark since going 10-3 to begin the 2014 season.
• The Hall improves to 7-1 all-time against NJIT.
• Seton Hall is now 5-0 in three-set matches this season.
• The Pirates are now a perfect 8-0 this season when winning the first set.
• The Hall improves to 9-1 this season when having a higher attack percentage than its opponent.
• The Pirates are now 6-0 this season in matches on Saturdays.
• Walsh has now reached double-figures in kills in five straight matches.
• The Seton Hall Classic is the third tournament the Pirates have won this season. The Pirates also won the Temple Invitational and the Seton Hall Invitational.
• Seton Hall's .429 attack percentage tonight is its highest of the season.

UP NEXT:
Seton Hall will return to action on Friday, September 23 when it opens BIG EAST Conference play against Connecticut in Walsh Gym. Match time is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. The contest will be streamed by the Pirate Sports Network and shown on FloSports.

South Orange, N.J. – Seton Hall men's soccer opens BIG EAST play on Saturday night as they hit the road to take on No. 24 Xavier. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT
Seton Hall closed out its non-conference slate with a 1-1 draw at home against Army on Tuesday night. After the Black Knights took the lead in the 56th minute, Johannes Pex (Stephansposching, Germany) equalized just over two minutes later with his second goal of the year. The Pirates generated numerous chances throughout the night as they held an 18-5 edge in shots, however were unable to find the go-ahead goal late.

SCOUTING XAVIER (5-0-1 THIS SEASON)

• Xavier is the lone unbeaten team in the BIG EAST, as they have begun the season with a 5-0-1 mark. The Musketeers are outscoring opponents 10-2 to start the season.
• The Musketeers are ranked No. 24 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll.
• Xavier leads the all-time series 7-1-0, with the lone Pirate win coming in 2016. Seton Hall is searching for its first win ever road win at Xavier.
• Each of the last five meetings between Seton Hall and Xavier have been decided by one goal.
• The Musketeers were picked to finish 11th in the BIG EAST preseason poll.

NEWS & NOTES

• The Pirates have scored a goal in each of their first six games to start a season for the first time since 2010.
• Seton Hall has won its last five matches, and 14 of its last 15, when scoring the first goal.
• Quenzi Huerman has points in his last three matches and in five of the first six games to start the season. His eight points on the season are tied for fourth most in the BIG EAST.
• The Pirates' first three wins of the season have all been shutouts, the second time in three seasons that has occurred. Seton Hall has only had its first four wins of a season all be shutouts twice (2020 and 2014).
• The win over Oregon State was the Pirates' first over a top-10 team in the United Soccer Coaches rankings since beating No. 2 Georgetown to win the BIG EAST title on Apr. 17, 2021. The win also marked the first time Seton Hall has defeated a top-10 non-conference foe since winning at No. 3 Virginia in the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
• The Pirates conceded just one goal through its first three matches of the season, the program's best defensive start to a season since 2005.

WATCH
All BEDN events can be seen on FloSports, one of the leading streaming services in the world. Special Seton Hall pricing is available only through this link for fans who want to subscribe to watch Seton Hall events, home and away, as well as all other live events on the FloSports platform. Fans with a .edu school address can purchase a subscription for $6.99 per month, and all other fans can purchase a subscription for $12.50 per month. The non-Seton Hall pricing on FloSports is normally $29.99 per month.
The link to watch all Seton Hall Men's Soccer games can be found here.

Dan is prohibited from entering due to inside info.
My 1st Prediction, not Gertrude(again surprised more much gnashing of teeth.
2nd; A SF or C
3rd: A C or SF.
Don't see a need for 1,2 or 4

Troy, N.Y. - The Seton Hall women's tennis team began the 2022-23 season with a bang, winning five out of a possible six championship flights at the Siena Invitational, which was held at Sharp Courts on the campus of RPI.

Senior Arina Gumerova, junior Oliwia Kempinski and junior Emily O'Donovan captured the A, B and C singles championships, respectively, and Gumerova teamed with sophomore Arabella Moen to win the A doubles title while Kempinski and O'Donovan collaborated to take the C doubles title.

Gumerova defended her Siena Invitational A championship, which she won in 2021, with ease as she cruised into the semifinals with 8-0 and 8-2 wins on Friday. She topped Siena's Laia Giralt in Saturday's title match, 8-4.

Kempinski, who competed in the C flight last year, moved up to the B flight this season and was strong with 8-4, 8-3 and 8-3 wins to get into the title match. Also in the title match was senior Hiba El Khalifi, who dispatched her opponents, 8-1, 8-2 and 8-4 to make it an All-Pirates final. Naturally, it went to tiebreakers, and Kempinski prevailed, 8-7(8).

In the C flight, both O'Donovan and sophomore Hili Kronzon advanced to the final. O'Donovan was pushed in the quarterfinals, winning 8-6, but she cruised in the semifinals with an 8-1 win over Marist's Isabella Tonuzi. Kronzon lost just eight games in her three wins leading up to the final. In the end, O'Donovan topped her teammate, 8-4.

In doubles, Gumerova also defended her A flight championship that she won in 2021, but this year she won with a different partner, as she teamed with Moen to come away with 6-1, 6-2 and 6-4 wins, the latter coming against Melania Lysova and Ximena Cano of St. Francis Brooklyn in the final.

Kempinski and O'Donovan also successfully defended their 2021 C flight doubles championship, losing just four games over three matches, and beating Marist's Isabella Tonuzi and Andriana Zaphiris in the title match, 6-1.

The Pirates will be right back in action next week when they head to West Point, N.Y. for Army's West Point Invitational Sept. 23-24.


RESULTS

A Singles First Round (Friday)
Arina Gumerova (SHU) def. Avery Oppenheim (Rider), 8-0
Arabella Moen (SHU) def. Lincy Valencia (St. Francis Brooklyn), 8-2
Aina Plana Ventosa (SHU) def. Nicolle Romero (St. Francis Brooklyn), 8-3

A Singles Quarterfinals (Friday)
Arina Gumerova (SHU) def. Nikki Ridenour (RPI), 8-2
Laia Giralt (Siena) def. Arabella Moen (SHU), 8-3
Aina Plana Ventosa (SHU) def. Jane Bockman (Marist), 8-5

A Singles Semifinals (Saturday)
Arina Gumerova (SHU) def. Melania Lysova (St. Francis Brooklyn), 8-6
Laia Giralt (Siena) def. Aina Plana Ventosa (SHU), 8-7 (3)

A Singles Final (Saturday)
Arina Gumerova (SHU) def. Laia Giralt (Siena), 8-4

B Singles First Round (Friday)
Oliwia Kempinski (SHU) def. Cloe Clements (Marist), 8-4
Ximena Cano (St. Francis Brooklyn) def. Chloe Hamlin (SHU), 8-4
Hiba El Khalifi (SHU) def. Margherita Fiorio (St. Francis Brooklyn), 8-1

B Singles Quarterfinals (Friday)
Oliwia Kempinski (SHU) def. Maanya Viswanath (Siena), 8-3
Hiba El Khalifi (SHU) def. Daniela Naves (Rider), 8-2

B Singles Semifinals (Saturday)
Oliwia Kempinski (SHU) def. Ximena Cano (St. Francis Brooklyn), 8-3
Hiba El Khalifi (SHU) def. Alexa Wilson (Siena), 8-4

B Singles Final (Saturday)
Oliwia Kempinski (SHU) def. Hiba El Khalifi (SHU), 8-7 (8)

B Singles Consolation Quarterfinals (Friday)
Nitya Subramaniam (RPI) def. Chloe Hamlin (SHU), 8-5

C Singles First Round (Friday)
Emily O'Donovan (SHU) def. Masha Karach (RPI), 8-2
Hili Kronzon (SHU) def. Mia Skrbinsek (St. Francis Brooklyn), 8-2

C Singles Quarterfinals (Friday)
Emily O'Donovan (SHU) def. Madeline DeFaber-Schumacher (Siena), 8-6
Hili Kronzon (SHU) def. Andriana Zaphiris (Marist), 8-4

C Singles Semifinals (Saturday)
Emily O'Donovan (SHU) def. Isabella Tonuzi (Marist), 8-1
Hili Kronzon (SHU) def. Akanksha Sreenivas (Marist), 8-2

C Singles Final (Saturday)
Emily O'Donovan (SHU) def. Hili Kronzon (SHU), 8-4

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A Doubles Quarterfinals (Friday)
Arina Gumerova/Arabella Moen (SHU) def. Avery Oppenheim/Raquel Bolin (Rider), 6-1
Melania Lysova/Ximena Cano (St. Francis Brooklyn) def. Chloe Hamlin/Aina Plana Ventosa (SHU), 6-1

A Doubles Semifinals (Saturday)
Arina Gumerova/Arabella Moen (SHU) def. Ellen Zureick/Jane Bockman (Marist), 6-2

A Doubles Final (Saturday)
Arina Gumerova/Arabella Moen (SHU) def. Melania Lysova/Ximena Cano (St. Francis Brooklyn), 6-4

B Doubles Quarterfinals (Friday)
Hiba El Khalifi/Hili Kronzon (SHU) def. Jade Gautier (Siena)/Lea Lambert (Marist), 6-2

B Doubles Semifinals (Saturday)
Hiba El Khalifi/Hili Kronzon (SHU) def. Nikki Ridenour/Krisia Flores Gonzalez (RPI), 6-0

B Doubles Final (Saturday)
Emma Boggiali/Maanya Viswanath (Siena) def. Hiba El Khalifi/Hili Kronzon (SHU), 6-2

C Doubles Quarterfinals (Friday)
Oliwia Kempinski/Emily O'Donovan (SHU) def. Cloe Clemens/Akanksha Sreenivas (Marist), 6-2

C Doubles Semifinals (Saturday)
Oliwia Kempinski/Emily O'Donovan (SHU) def. Skrbinsek/Fiorio (St. Francis Brooklyn), 6-1

C Doubles Final (Saturday)
Oliwia Kempinski/Emily O'Donovan (SHU) def. Isabella Tonuzi/Andriana Zaphiris (Marist), 6-1

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Junior Perri Lucas (Chicago, Ill.) matched her career-high with 19 kills and both Taylor Jakubowski (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) and Jenna Walsh (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) had double-doubles as the Seton Hall women's volleyball team downed Dartmouth, 3-1 (25-23, 25-21, 23-25, 26-24), on Saturday.

After falling in the third set, the Pirates found themselves in a 23-15 hole in the fourth quarter, but ended the match with a thrilling 11-1 run. The Hall is now 2-0 at the Seton Hall Classic and can claim the tournament title with a win over NJIT tonight.

Lucas had one of the best matches of her career with 19 kills, only four attack errors and a .349 attack percentage.

Jakubowski tallied a match-high 28 assists to go with a season-high 15 digs and five service aces. Walsh tallied 13 kills, a career-high 15 digs and three blocks.

SET 1:
The Hall had a match-high .281 attack percentage in set one, but had to outlast a feisty Dartmouth team. With the score tied at 13, The Hall scored four of the next five points, and a kill by Bianca Bucciarelli (Carate Brianza, Italy) gave it a 17-14 advantage. A Lucas kill extended the Pirates' lead to 23-19, but the Big Green bounced back with three straight to cut their deficit to one. Out of the break, Lucas connected on the set-point and set-winning kills to give The Hall a 25-23 victory. Lucas had seven kills and only one attack error in a terrific opening set effort.

SET 2:
With the score tied at seven in the second set, Seton Hall went on a 5-0 run to jump ahead, 12-7. Dartmouth, however, rallied to tie the score at 19. With the score tied at 21, The Hall closed out the set with four straight points. A kill by Walsh gave The Hall the lead, followed by back-to-back aces by Jakubowski. Finally, Lucas ended the set with yet another kill.

SET 3:
Seton Hall fell behind early in the third set as Dartmouth scored 10 of the first 14 points. Down 20-15, the Pirates went on another 5-0 burst, and a service aces by Mason Woo (Burbank, Calif.) tied the score at 20. A kill by Maddie Klungel (Napa, Calif.) gave The Hall a 22-21 lead, but the Big Green rallied to score three straight and enter set point. A kill by Hanna Tulli (Collegeville, Pa.) cut The Hall's deficit to 24-23, but Dartmouth was able to close out the set, 25-23.

SET 4:
Set four started out like a repeat of set three with The Hall falling into a deep deficit early. Dartmouth scored seven of the first eight points. Facing an eight-point deficit, 23-15, everything turned around. The Hall closed out the match with an 11-1 run. A kill by Lucas was their eighth straight point to tie the score at 23, but a Pirate attack error put the Big Green in set point, 24-23. A Dartmouth attack error tied the set at 24, before another kill by Lucas gave The Hall match point. Finally, an ace by Walsh completed the Pirate comeback for a dramatic 26-24 victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Lucas tied her career-high with 19 kills to go with only four attack errors and a .349 attack percentage.
• Jakubowski had 28 assists, 15 digs and five aces.
• Walsh had 13 kills, a career-high 15 digs, three blocks and three assists.
• Woo had a career-high 18 digs to go with four aces in the best match of her young career.
• Sophomore Anna Holland (Waukesha, Wis.) had a team-high 20 digs.
• Freshman Asli Subasili (Tekirdag, Turkey) tallied a match-high seven blocks to go with four aces.
• Seton Hall recorded a .158 attack percentage for the match, while Dartmouth attacked at .146.
• The Pirates had 53 kills, while the Big Green recorded 47.
• The Hall tallied 92 digs, while the Dartmouth had 78.
• The Pirates had 9.0 total blocks, while Dartmouth had 7.0.

NEWS & NOTES:

• Seton Hall improves to 8-3 on the young season, while Dartmouth drops to 7-2.
• The Hall improves to 3-1 all-time against Dartmouth.
• Seton Hall is now 3-2 in four-set matches this season.
• The Pirates are now a perfect 7-0 this season when winning the first set.
• The Hall improves to 8-1 this season when having a higher attack percentage than its opponent.
• The Pirates are now 5-0 this season in matches on Saturdays.
• Walsh collected exactly 13 kills for the fourth straight match.
• Lucas has now collected at least 15 kills in a match seven times in her career.
• Jakubowski's double-double is her third of the season and the 26th of her career, which leads all active Pirates.
• With nine kills and eight digs, Bucciarelli surpassed the 200-kills mark and the 100-digs mark for her career.
• Holland has now reached at least 20 digs four times this year and nine times in her career.

UP NEXT:
The Pirates' finale of the Seton Hall Classic will be later today when they host NJIT in Walsh Gym. Match time is 7:00 p.m. The contest will be streamed by the Pirate Sports Network and shown on FloSports.