Villanova receiver Luke Colella and left guard Temi Ajirotutu have declared for the 2026 NFL draft.
“This journey has been filled with hard work, sacrifice, adversity, and growth,” Colella wrote in his announcement on Wednesday. “Every setback and every challenge made me stronger and taught a valuable lesson. With faith in God, gratitude for everyone who has supported me, and confidence in the work I’ve put in, I am proud to officially declare for the 2026 NFL Draft.”
BREAKING: Villanova (@NovaFootball) WR Luke Colella has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, per his Instagram.
Colella had a breakout season with the Wildcats in 2025. He finished the year with 77 receptions for 1,071 yards and 8 touchdowns. pic.twitter.com/enCJ3pwNSd
Colella transferred to Villanova from Princeton for his final year of eligibility. He finished with a team-leading 77 receptions for 1,071 yards and eight touchdowns with the Wildcats.
At Princeton, he collected 93 receptions for 1,188 yards and 11 touchdowns across three seasons.
Ajirotutu, a graduate student, played his entire five-year college career at Villanova. He emerged as a starter in 2022 and was named third team All-CAA in 2023.
Last season, Ajirotutu played in four games before missing the remainder of the year with a medical redshirt. He earned an honorable mention on the AP FCS All-America team this past season, when he played in all 15 games.
With the help of Colella and Ajirotutu, Villanova made an appearance in the FCS semifinals for the first time since 2010. The Wildcats fell to Illinois State, 30-14.
The last Villanova player to get drafted was Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford, who was selected in the sixth round in 2022.
The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine will take place on Feb. 23 to March 2, and this year’s draft will be held April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
Justin Crawford and Aidan Miller highlight the 27 nonroster players the Phillies have invited to major league spring training in Clearwater, Fla. next month.
Crawford is ranked as the Phillies’ No. 3 prospect by MLBPipeline and is expected to get an opportunity to be their opening-day center fielder. The 22-year-old slashed .334/.411/.452 in 112 games at triple-A Lehigh Valley last season.
Miller, a 21-year-old shortstop, is ranked the Phillies’ No. 2 prospect. He spent most of 2025 with double-A Reading, leading the Eastern League in walks (73) and stolen bases (52), before a September promotion to triple A. He finished the year with a .264/.392/.433 slash line across both levels.
Other top prospects who earned invites include infielder Aroon Escobar (Phillies’ No. 5 prospect) and outfielder Dante Nori, the Phillies’ 2024 first-round pick.
The full list of invitees:
Left-handed pitchers: Génesis Cabrera, Tucker Davidson, Tim Mayza, and Andrew Walling.
Right-handed pitchers: Andrew Bechtold, Jonathan Hernandez, Michael Mercado, Trevor Richards, and Bryse Wilson.
Catchers: Kehden Hettiger, Mark Kolozsvary, Paul McIntosh, René Pinto, and Caleb Ricketts.
Infielders: Keaton Anthony, Christian Cairo, Carson DeMartini, Aroon Escobar, Aidan Miller, Liover Peguero, Bryan Rincon, and José Rodríguez.
Outfielders: Dylan Campbell, Justin Crawford, Bryan De La Cruz, and Dante Nori.
“You got it. Have a seat. How’s your day been so far?”
“Good. Just finished up with Mr. Lurie. I’m very appreciative that you all were willing to have me in to talk.”
“Of course!”
“I mean, it’s not often you see an NFL FRANCHISE SEEKING OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR posting on LinkedIn. And I wasn’t even sure if that Easy Apply link actually worked!”
“Hey, you never know where you’ll find the right candidate. We like to cast a wide net. So why don’t you tell me why you think you’re the right person to be the next offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles.”
“Sure. Well, I think I have the experience necessary to thrive in the position.”
“How so?”
Mike McDaniel (left) is off the board and Brian Daboll seems unlikely, but head coach experience might still be on the Eagles’ OC checklist.
“I mean, my resumé kind of speaks for itself. I’ve been a quarterbacks coach, a wide receivers coach, and an offensive coordinator. I’ve called plays. I’ve been part of winning organizations. I know you respect the coaches and offensive minds I’ve worked for and learned from.”
“True. That’s absolutely true.”
“And, to be frank, Howie, I’m open to exploring a new role that will allow me to flex my coaching muscles in a way that I haven’t in a long time.”
“Totally get that.”
“And the idea of taking on this particular role with the Eagles would be a challenge that I’d relish.”
“You want to take on all the challenges and problems and obstacles that come with this job?”
“Definitely.”
“We have a quarterback who seems like he doesn’t want to run the ball anymore, even though running the ball was a big part of what has made him really good — even great — when he has been really good.”
Can the Eagles’ mystery OC candidate devise a plan to get the most out of Jalen Hurts’ legs?
“I know. I’ve been watching Jalen. I think I can help him. I think someone has to help him.”
“He doesn’t throw the ball over the middle of the field, either.”
“Seen it. Thought about it. Have plans to change it.”
“What about the pressure that comes with this job? I mean, you saw what happened to the last guy, right?”
“I did. Hey, Philadelphia is a passionate sports town. Nothing better. My kids and I already have tons of Phillies and Sixers apparel. We’re in.”
“As I’m sure you know, we cannot guarantee you egg-free housing.”
“I know.”
“It’s one of the … charming consequences, I guess you’d call it … of being an Eagles coach.”
Have the Eagles found the offensive coordinator candidate with a proper understanding of the fan base’s passions?
“Oh, you don’t have to tell me. I’ve coached at the Linc often enough to get a sense of it. Even had some spirited conversations with some fans about it. The atmosphere around here can be intimidating, I know, and man, those folks can say some things that get your back up. But I’m at the stage of my career where I think I can handle it.”
“All right. Well, as you know by now, I’m sure, we operate a bit differently from a lot of other teams around the league.”
“You sure do.”
“We view the head coach as more of a conduit between those of us at the top of the leadership pyramid and the locker room.”
“Yep.”
“Our head coach doesn’t call plays, for instance. That will be the new OC’s responsibility.”
“Well aware.”
“I mean, we’re not inherently opposed to the idea of having a head coach call the plays for the offense. But we’ve realized over the last few years that investing our coordinators with a lot of say-so over the direction of their units is the way to go. Look at Vic. Look how that’s worked out. Our goal is to find someone who fits that mold. There’s a certain … gravitas … that comes with being a coordinator here in 2026. You call the formations and plays. You oversee that side of the ball with near-unfettered discretion. In some ways, whoever we end up hiring as our new OC will have more power than our head coach.”
“That’s one of the reasons I want the job.”
“I can understand that. And I have to say, your resumé and experience show that you’re willing to be flexible. You definitely do what’s asked of you.”
“I try.”
“OK. So, Jeffrey and I will talk. We’ll ‘confab,’ as it were. Lots to get to in the meantime, of course. Draft prep. Free agency prep. Super Bowl week — San Fran! Are you going? The chowder in a bread bowl at Hog Island is a must-do. And don’t fret. When we reach our decision, we’ll let you know.”
“I understand. Thanks so much for the time, Howie. I’ll talk to you soon, I hope.”
With heavy snow expected this weekend, two Big 5 basketball programs are moving their tipoff times.
The St. Joseph’s men’s team was slated to take on Davidson at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Hagan Arena. Now, the Hawks will be starting at 2 p.m. to avoid interference with potential snowfall on Saturday night.
Due to forecasted inclement weather in the Philadelphia region and in the interest of the safety teams, fans and staff, Saint Joseph's men's basketball game vs Dayton on Saturday, Jan. 24, has been moved up to 2:00 p.m.
Broadcast details will be announced when available. #THWND
The Drexel women moved its Sunday matchup against Towson at the Daskalakis Athletic Center to Saturday at 6 p.m., which will now be a homecoming doubleheader with the men’s team, which faces Northeastern at 2 p.m.
The women’s team will play back-to-back days, as the Dragons host Stony Brook at 6 p.m. Friday.
Due to impending weather on Sunday, January 25, the women's basketball game against Towson, originally scheduled for 2 p.m., will now be played on Saturday, January 24 at 6 PM as part of a Saturday doubleheader with the men's basketball team, which begins at 2 PM.
The Philadelphia region will be under a winter storm watch from 7 p.m. Saturday until midday Monday. As of Friday, the area is expected to receive anywhere from eight to 14 inches of snow.
While Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown made headlines during the season for his behavior, his attitude made headlines for a different reason this week. After the Eagles’ 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 11, Brown has remained relatively mum, especially following him jawing back and forth with coach Nick Sirianni.
Then Brown popped up Thursday, but for different reasons — gifting a PlayStation 5 to a stranger.
The receiver was seen in Florida making a kid’s day. While with his fiancé, Kelsey Riley, and his son, A.J. Brown Jr., he pulled his car to the side of the road, where a kid was selling candy. Riley rummaged through the assortment of candy, which included Nerd Gummy Clusters, Sour Patch Kids, and M&M’s before picking a bag of Gummy Bears.
Brown, on the other hand, pulled out a wad of cash before asking Riley a question.
“How much is a PS5 these days?” Brown said.
Riley responded that they typically are in the $500-600 range, prompting Brown to hand the kids several hundred dollars so that he could buy one for himself. Although Brown Jr., was less than impressed, pleading for an apple in the video .
But before departing back into Brown’s car, Brown and the kid took a picture together.
Rollie Massimino “did not mess around” when it came to drawing up defensive schemes against Patrick Ewing … or warding off gambling temptations that might filter through to his Villanova players.
“When we were playing, we had an FBI agent who was a former ’Nova basketball player give talks about gambling,” said Chuck Everson, a member of Massimino’s 1985 Wildcats title team that took down heavily favored Georgetown.
“Rollie did not mess around with that stuff. It wasn’t that far removed from the Boston College [point-shaving] scandal. Rollie brought in the FBI to talk to us. Coach Mass did a great job of teaching us, and it wasn’t all basketball; it was life lessons. And with gambling, it was, ‘Don’t do that.’
“To this day, I have never called DraftKings, or anything like that. I attribute that to being scared straight with Coach Mass.”
Everson, 61, played in an era when sports betting wasn’t legal in most of the country. These days, things are quite different. College athletes are compensated by their schools or through lucrative name, image, and likeness deals, and the legal/illegal gambling culture infiltrates every level of sports.
Last Thursday in Philadelphia, federal authorities announced a sweeping criminal indictment and related filings against 26 people on charges related to manipulating NCAA games and Chinese professional games through bribes, some as high as five figures.
It is the fourth federal criminal indictment that involves gambling and sports unsealed in the last six months, and the latest alleged gambling scheme involves one of the storied Big 5 programs: La Salle.
According to the indictment, at least one of the purported rigged games took place in 2024 in Philadelphia between La Salle and St. Bonaventure.
There are at least 39 players from 17 NCAA Division I schools who are alleged to have been involved in the scheme, but the indictment may underscore other, more troubling concerns.
Players at mid-major or smaller Division I programs might earn a fraction in NIL money compared to what their counterparts at elite programs take in, and therefore might be more susceptible to the temptations of illicit paydays. As one former federal prosecutor put it, this alleged scheme might be one of many dominoes waiting to fall.
“Anything that interferes with the integrity of sporting events, you’re going to get action by prosecutors,” said Edward McDonald, who prosecuted those involved in the Boston College point-shaving case in the late ’70s. McDonald, now senior counsel at the Dechert law firm, thinks that mid-major schools, like La Salle and some others in the Big 5, could be particularly vulnerable to gambling and bribery schemes.
“These smaller schools, the compensation to players is not as great [compared to larger programs], even for the better players on the team,” said McDonald, who learned of the Boston College scam through his investigations of organized crime family members with the Justice Department (and played himself in the Martin Scorsese-directed mob film Goodfellas).
“Players going to big-time schools are making 10 times more. A player [at a smaller program] might not be having a good season or might think they’re not going to play in the NBA or professionally, and they might say, ‘What the hell, I might as well cash in now.’”
Prop bets on a La Salle game
According to the court filings, one of the defendants, Jalen Smith, and former LSU and NBA player Antonio Blakeney (who is “charged elsewhere,” according to the indictment), attempted to recruit players on the La Salle men’s basketball team for the point-shaving scheme.
The fixers offered the La Salle players payments to underperform and influence the first half of a game against St. Bonaventure on Feb. 21, 2024, according to the filings.
Prosecutors allege that before the game at Tom Gola Arena, defendants who acted as fixers placed bets totaling approximately $247,000 on the Bonnies to cover the first-half spread. A $30,000 wager was made in Philadelphia at a FanDuel sportsbook, according to the indictment. But those bets failed after La Salle covered the spread.
“Neither the university, current student-athletes, or staff are subjects of the indictment,” La Salle wrote in a statement. “We will fully cooperate as needed with officials and investigations.”
La Salle coach Fran Dunphy directing the Explorers in November 2023. Dunphy retired after last season.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine told The Inquirer that several years ago he received complaints from a number of college coaches in his state about online abuse directed at players and threatening calls from gamblers who had lost big.
“I called up [NCAA president] Charlie Baker, and asked him, ‘What do you think of prop betting?’” DeWine said. “He said, ‘We don’t like it.’ And I said, ‘Give me a letter that says that.’
“Under Ohio law, if I can get a letter from a league saying, ‘Don’t bet on certain things,’ that gives me the ability to go to my Casino Commission and they can [enact rules] without any legislation. Charlie sent the letter, I took that to the commission, and that stopped collegiate prop betting.”
The Ohio Casino Control Commission granted the NCAA’s request to prohibit proposition bets on collegiate sports in February 2024, but the decision affected only Ohio.
“It doesn’t really eliminate the problem,” DeWine said.
The ban in Ohio is only a drop in the bucket against a sea of pro-gambling momentum, legislation, and, most significantly, lucrative revenue streams.
CJ Hines, a guard who was dismissed from Temple’s basketball team on Jan. 16, allegedly participated in a point-shaving scheme during the 2024-25 season while playing for Alabama State, according to the indictment. Hines transferred to Temple in May but didn’t play this season after the university announced that he was under investigation for eligibility concerns before his enrollment.
Former Alabama State guard CJ Hines (3) averaged 14.1 points in 35 starts last season.
The Atlantic 10 Conference — which includes La Salle and St. Joseph’s — weighed in on the latest gambling indictment.
“Any activity that undermines the integrity of competition has no place in college athletics,” commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade said in a release. “The Atlantic 10 and its member institutions will continue to work closely with the proper authorities to combat illegal activities.”
A St. Joe’s spokesperson added: “St. Joseph’s University has not been approached by federal investigators or any other entity about suspicious sports wagering activity involving St. Joe’s student-athletes or team.”
Villanova, which plays in the powerful Big East Conference, has numerous resources and protocols in place to address the sports wagering issue.
Handbooks, which include NCAA rules on gambling, are distributed annually to athletes, who also must sign a sports wagering document before being declared eligible. The athlete must acknowledge he or she won’t engage in activities that influence the outcome or win-loss margins of any game.
In 2021, 2023, and 2025, Villanova brought in speakers who have a history with sports gambling to talk with athletes about the risks and dangers associated with it. Villanova’s athletic compliance office meets twice annually with every athlete to review NCAA compliance standards, including its rules on sports wagering.
Former Villanova basketball star Maddy Siegrist told The Inquirer last year that her college alma mater ingrained in her mind the potential devastating consequences of gambling, values that she continues to adhere to as a WNBA player.
‘The integrity of sports is at risk’
Even after the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that legalized sports wagering state to state, the honesty and integrity component still comes into question when so much is riding on any sports wager.
DeWine, the Ohio governor, is taking a proactive role in trying to address malfeasance in the gaming culture.
“I’m writing letters to all other major [sports] leagues,” DeWine said. “They need to get on this. If they sit back, they’re making a huge mistake. I think the integrity of sports is at risk. I’m continuing to urge these leagues to take care of business, because they’re the ones that are going to get hurt.”
But McDonald said that with the flurry of recent indictments involving sports and gambling, “you have to wonder how pervasive [the illegal gambling problem] really is.”
“This could very well be the tip of the iceberg,” McDonald said.
Rob Thomson served dinner at a soup kitchen in Kensington and read books to students in Germantown. He spoke at banquets in Cherry Hill and Bethlehem. For four days this week, he met fans and talked baseball across the region.
And in case he wasn’t previously aware of the discourse about the Phillies’ offseason, let’s just say the phrase “running it back” came up a few times along the trail.
Thomson’s take:
“We’re going to have three new relievers,” the manager said at one stop of the Phillies’ annual winter tour. “We’ve got a new right fielder. [Justin] Crawford’s going to get every chance to play. We’ve probably got a rookie starting pitcher in [Andrew] Painter. We’ve got Otto Kemp, who wasn’t here at the start of last year. We’re turning over 20 to 25% of our roster.
“So, if you think that’s turning it back, or running it back, whatever the saying is, I can’t help you.”
OK, Thomson isn’t wrong. But two things can be true. The Phillies can change two-thirds of the outfield and half the bullpen and still bring back the guts of a roster that accounted for nearly three-quarters of the team’s plate appearances and almost 70% of its innings pitched last season.
Does that constitute running it back? Maybe. Maybe not.
Regardless, it misses the point. Because whether or not you think president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made an appropriate number of changes after a second consecutive NL East title and another loss in the divisional round of the playoffs, the pertinent question is this: Are the Phillies better or worse today than when last season ended Oct. 9 at Dodger Stadium?
The Phillies are replacing Nick Castellanos (right) with Adolis Garcia in right field.
And on that topic, Thomson was less definitive.
“I think it’s to be determined,” he told Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast. “But I feel better about it.”
It’s a manager’s job to be optimistic — and as importantly, to project optimism to the public, especially in a week when single-game tickets went on sale. Thomson listed reasons to be bullish. He likes the addition of free-agent reliever Brad Keller and suspects new right fielder Adolis García tried too hard to put the injury-wracked Rangers on his broad back last season and is primed to rebound. He also believes Crawford and Painter will bring youthful vigor as rookies with substantial roles.
It surely didn’t help that the Mets followed their backdoor deal with Bichette by trading for center fielder Luis Robert Jr. and top-of-the-rotation starter Freddy Peralta, the biggest splashes in a roster overhaul that needed to happen after a three-month collapse caused them to miss the playoffs last year. Add it all together, and Fangraphs upped its projection of the Mets’ total WAR to 46.7, third-highest in baseball and better than the Phillies’ 43.9 forecast.
Whatever, Thomson said. Step back from the last seven days, and he contends the Phillies’ internal outlook remains as bright as the Florida sun that awaits them in a few weeks.
“There are a lot of really good things going on,” Thomson said. “Because of the Bichette thing, a lot of that stuff gets overlooked a little bit, and I understand that. But we’ve got a really good club. We’ve just got to play better in the playoffs.”
So much will happen before that. In the interim, let’s attempt to answer whether the Phillies are any better with a cast of characters that is one year older but almost as familiar as ever. A few factors to consider:
After a long free agency, J.T. Realmuto finally re-signed with the Phillies on a three-year, $45 million contract.
Letting go of Bo
There isn’t much use for the Phillies to cry over the spilled milk of having Bichette slip through their fingers.
But there’s still milk all over the floor.
Signing Bichette would’ve set several dominoes in motion, including a likely trade of third baseman Alec Bohm. J.T. Realmuto almost certainly wouldn’t have been re-signed, with the Phillies getting so far down the Bichette road that Dombrowski phoned Realmuto’s agent, Matt Ricatto, to tell him they were headed in that direction.
“I wouldn’t want him to read about it in the paper,” Dombrowski said.
Within an hour of Bichette-to-the-Mets, Dombrowski called back Ricatto. The Phillies boosted their three-year offer to Realmuto to $45 million, with $5 million per year in incentives, and the iron-man catcher was right back where he has been since 2019.
But there was an underlying awkwardness when the Phillies announced their deal with Realmuto in a video news conference. Such occasions are typically celebratory in nature. Instead, Realmuto sounded like a human consolation prize.
“There’s no secret the Phillies had other opportunities,” he said. “Luckily, after they missed out on an opportunity there at the end, they called back, improved their offer, and got to a place we were happy with.”
Swell. As long as both sides are really happy.
The Phillies have developed a band-of-brothers culture over the last several years, especially since Thomson took over as manager in June 2022. Kyle Schwarber is the leader in the clubhouse; Realmuto on the field. There’s a bond here that players have been eager to join.
But given how much management clearly wanted Bichette, how can anyone be sure that Realmuto, Bohm, and others who may have been collateral damage are in the right frame of mind as spring training begins?
“It’s a good question,” Thomson said. “I think for the most part, our guys, because we’ve got a pretty experienced club, they understand the business side of it. They understand that things happen and things don’t happen, and they have to keep moving forward and stay focused on what they can control. They’ve been through it quite a bit, free agency, trade rumors. That’s all part of the business.
“I think they understand that. And now that we’re past that, I think they’re ready to go.”
From left: Prospects Justin Crawford, Andrew Painter, and Aidan Miller should all be in the mix for the Phillies in 2026.
In making the playoffs four seasons in a row for only the second time in their 143-year history, the Phillies built this core through free agency. Most of those signings worked out well, save Nick Castellanos and Taijuan Walker. Still, the number of long-term, big-money contracts on the books has limited their flexibility.
If it feels like the Phillies keep running back the same roster, that’s why.
The only way, then, to really alter the mix is to assimilate young, inexpensive players from the minors. And since 2023, the Phillies have had only 12 players make their major-league debuts — fewer than any team, based on Fangraphs research.
Crawford and Painter could change that. The Phillies expect Crawford to win the center-field job out of camp at age 22, which would make him their youngest player in an opening-day lineup since Freddy Galvis in 2012. Painter, 23 in April, could claim a spot in the season-opening rotation.
“If you want to have a really healthy organization,” Thomson said, “I think you have to be able to infuse some youth along the way.”
Thomson witnessed it firsthand a decade ago.
In 2016, he was the bench coach for the Yankees, who had the second-highest payroll in baseball and seven players in their 30s who made 240 or more plate appearances. They contended for the playoffs, but fell short with 84 wins. The roster had become stale.
A year later, the Yankees got younger without rebuilding. Gary Sánchez replaced Brian McCann behind the plate; Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery emerged as the team’s best starters at age 23 and 24, respectively; a rookie named Aaron Judge took over in right field.
The Yankees changed the mix on the fly, won 91 games, and went to Game 7 of the AL Championship Series against the trash-can-banging Astros.
“There were some warts there, no doubt, some growing pains,” Thomson recalled. “But when we turned it over into ‘17, they just took off and ran with it, and it was really good. I think there’s some similarities there.”
The biggest difference, according to Thomson: Whereas the 2017 Yankees were carried by the kids, the Phillies won’t have to ask theirs to do as much because the stars are still closer to their primes.
“Our core guys are really good, so if Crawford can come in and just kind of do his thing, don’t put too much pressure on him, he’s going to be fine,” Thomson said. “Same thing with Painter. If Painter’s in our [No.] 5 spot to start the season and he just relaxes and just grows with it, he’s going to be fine.
“I’m really excited about it. I love young guys. I just love the enthusiasm, the energy that they bring to the team that filters throughout the clubhouse and into those veteran players. And sometimes they need that.”
The Phillies need it like they need oxygen. You might even say it’s their best chance to be better than last year.
Former Eagles defensive end Kevin Johnson was found dead Wednesday at a homeless encampment in the Willowbrook area of Los Angeles, and a homicide investigation is underway, according to reports.
Los Angeles’ KABC reported that Johnson, 55, was pronounced dead at the scene after police responded to the 1300 block of East 120th Street for a report of an unconscious man. Johnson’s cause of death, according to KABC, citing L.A. County Medical Examiner records, includes “blunt head trauma” and “stab wounds.”
A fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots in 1994, Johnson was claimed by the Eagles after being waived by the Oakland Raiders in August 1995. Johnson, a Los Angeles native, played 23 games (six starts) across two seasons with the Eagles.
He recorded six sacks and appeared in both of the team’s postseason games in 1995. Johnson was released by the team in December of 1996 and later played in 15 games with the Raiders in 1997 before a stint in the Arena Football League.
Joel Embiid overpowered Alperen Şengün with a spin inside, sending the Houston Rockets’ big man to the floor before easily laying the ball into the rim.
The play on Thursday night drew the ire of Rockets coach Ime Udoka, who got whistled for a technical foul. It was also another sign of how much Embiid’s health — and production — continues to progress.
Two years ago to the day, Embiid scored a career-high 70 points in a victory over the San Antonio Spurs. It was the masterpiece of a historic stretch, when the then-reigning NBA Most Valuable Player was scoring more than a point a minute.
A few days later, however, the Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga inadvertently fell on Embiid’s knee, and years of struggles to stay healthy and available ensued.
Embiid has not returned to his peak level. Perhaps he never will. Yet it was poetic that his best performance since those surgeries — 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in the 76ers’ thrilling 128-122 overtime victory at Xfinity Mobile Arena — arrived on the same date.
“Maybe I should have a baby on Jan. 22,” Embiid quipped from his locker after the game. “Seems to be a good day. Me and my wife, when I get home, we’re probably going to talk about [it]. Start making those calculations, and make sure that we’re trying to have a baby on Jan. 22.”
That answer, complete with the playful bravado, is further evidence that Embiid is getting back to himself, after acknowledging feeling depressed and separated from teammates while navigating his health struggles.
He also has allowed himself to sincerely reflect at points this season, saying in Orlando earlier this month that “this is a moment where I’m like, ‘Wow.’ A lot of people, I think, never thought this would happen again.”
Joel Embiid (with Kevin Durant) helped turn back the clock in an encouraging home victory Thursday night.
Sixers teammates and staff members have closely watched this recovery unfold. For Paul George, Embiid’s first dunk on Jan. 3 at Madison Square Garden was a key benchmark. For coach Nick Nurse, it has been the gradual improvements in rim protection, rebounding, drives to the basket, and post-up opportunities.
Nurse added he is still “a ways away” from schematically moving Embiid to different spots around the court “as much as we want to,” which could unlock even more of his offensive prowess.
And though Embiid has appeared in 11 out of the past 13 games — during which he has averaged 27.8 points on 51.7% shooting, along with 8.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists — he said he still is “not allowed to play back-to-backs — yet.”
Thursday, though, was another significant step, in a down-to-the-wire victory against a quality opponent. His 15 rebounds were his highest total since — Surprise! — that 70-point outburst. His 10 assists were a season-high, and a product of Embiid getting rid of the ball earlier when the extra defender arrives, Nurse said.
Defensively, Embiid helped limit Şengün, an All-Star reserve contender in the Western Conference, to 5-of-14 from the floor and three points after halftime.
As a scorer, Embiid drew fouls on a rip-through move and while assertively turning toward the basket. He hit a jumper over two defenders at the end of the second quarter. He hunted switches so he could be guarded by a smaller defender, even as the Rockets “were moving pieces like crazy,” Nurse said, while unleashing a variety of different schemes.
Joel Embiid was effective on a night when the Rockets were aggressively making changes to help limit him.
And when the Sixers needed buckets in the fourth, Embiid kept his team afloat before its final surge.
An inside conversion to cut Houston’s lead to four points. A three-pointer to get them within 105-99. A driving finish out of a timeout to make the score 107-101. And six assists over the fourth quarter and overtime, including dishes to Tyrese Maxey (36 points) for a game-tying pull-up late in regulation and then for the game-sealing dunk in the final seconds of the extra frame.
By the time Embiid’s night was over, he had played nearly 47 minutes.
“He walked into the locker room after the game,” said Maxey, who leads the NBA in minutes played, “and said, ‘There’s no reason I should ever play more minutes than Tyrese.’ I said, ‘That’s great. You should do that more often.’ …
“He’s just getting back to himself, slowly but surely. And he’s doing it in a different way, kind of. But he’s just really locked in and really bought into this team.”
As Embiid held court in front of his locker, teammate Trendon Watford walked by and yelled, “All-Star Joel! All-Star Process!” Maxey had just done his own politicking during his news conference, saying “Process!” and tapping the microphone when asked to choose a teammate to join him at the festivities in Los Angeles next month.
That all echoed Embiid’s own personal campaigning, saying in Orlando that he believes he is worthy of a spot and “you guys [the media] should start putting the word out that Joel Embiid is back.”
A few minutes later, George said he could feel Embiid’s “competitive juices” while matching up against Sengun.
“He won’t say it,” George said. “But me in that position, when I was in his spot and there was guys under me that was coming up, I took it personal to kind of still be a force out there.”
After former Sixers teammate Furkan Korkmaz in September called Şengün the best center he has shared the floor with, as part of the Turkish national team, Embiid added a new photo to his Instagram grid late Thursday.
Şengün hunched over, slowly regaining his feet after that wicked spin sent him to the floor. Embiid standing over him, side-eyed and staring.
And a one-word caption: “Furk ……”
“He dominated,” George added. “Big fella took it on him to really take over. I thought he was the vintage Joel tonight.”
Chris Coyne had a chance to win $1 million earlier this month, but that wasn’t enough to get him out of reading his son a bedtime story.
His friends were coming over the next afternoon to watch the final slate of NFL games as Coyne neared the prize. So his wife said it was his night to make sure one of their two children was sleeping.
And there was Coyne — a cell phone on his lap so he could follow the Buccaneers-Panthers game on Jan. 3 — reading The Pout-Pout Fish to 2-year-old Charlie.
“I know it by heart now, so I’m just reading it from memory and watching the phone on mute while I’m telling the story,” said Coyne, who also has an infant son named Harrison. “But I have a million dollars on the line. The Bucs missed a field goal, and I’m like, ‘Ahh.’ I had to grit it.”
It was the start of an emotional roller coaster of a weekend that ended with Coyne, a 34-year-old former walk-on for Phil Martelli at St. Joseph’s, winning the $1 million grand prize in a season-long NFL pick ’em contest run by a Las Vegas casino with 6,000 participants.
He lost a game in September when the Eagles returned a blocked field goal against the Rams, picked up a win in December when the Raiders kicked a meaningless field goal to lose by 7 points instead of 10, and then pouted through that bedtime story as the Buccaneers faded.
It was a season-long marathon. But it ended with Coyne, who lives in Brooklyn, flying to Las Vegas during the NFL’s wild-card weekend to claim his oversized check and custom blue jacket at the Circa Resort & Casino as the winner of the Circa Million VII.
“I wasn’t as dedicated to it as many others are,” said Coyne, who was at the playground with his kids when he checked his phone to see how Jordan Davis’ sprint spoiled that game against the Rams on Sept. 21.
“I joke that there were no models, no Excel spreadsheets. It’s just me changing diapers and making picks.”
A team photo of the 2012-13 St. Joe’s team with Chris Coyne (first row, third from the left).
Walk-on Hawk
Coyne was cut from the St. Joe’s basketball team as a freshman and sophomore but was certain that his junior year in 2011-12 would be different.
He could have played Division II hoops but came to Philly because his Manhattan high school followed the Jesuit educational model just like St. Joe’s. Coyne played JV ball as a freshman and sophomore for the Hawks and practiced with Martelli’s crew in the offseason.
He rode his bike home from the gym the night before tryouts and thought it was finally his chance to make the team. Then Coyne hit a curb and flew over his handlebars. His palms were gushing blood and his wrists were banged up.
“I had no skin on my hands,” Coyne said. “There it goes. There goes the dream.”
Coyne arrived early to the tryout, hoping that the Hawks athletic trainer could do something. The trainer wrapped Coyne’s hands and sent him on the court.
“I pretty much looked like a boxer,” he said.
It worked as Coyne — shooting like coaches always stressed with his fingers and not his palms — seemed to knock down everything. Maybe he should always play like a prizefighter, he thought.
Martelli called to tell him that his third try was a success: Coyne was a walk-on.
Chris Coyne played for coach Phil Martelli alongside star Langston Galloway (10) during his time with St. Joe’s.
“It was my dad’s birthday and I called him to tell him,” Coyne said. “He was the one who pushed me to see this through and not just play at the D-III level. He said, ‘This is your dream. Whether you get one minute in a game or 30 minutes, go see this through.’ I couldn’t thank him enough.”
He played two years for Martelli, who told the bench players on the “Pinnie Squad” to give it their all in practice against the starters. The reserves were a bunch of guys like Coyne, who could have played elsewhere but stayed on Hawk Hill with Martelli.
So the future $1 million NFL picker battled every day against Langston Galloway, the future NBA player. Martelli assigned his players to read articles about leadership and teamwork and preached the value of family. It was always more than basketball.
“I never felt like I was just sitting on the sidelines getting guys water,” Coyne said. “You were in the mix every day, which was really cool.”
Coyne played just 12 minutes over eight games during those two seasons. But he did knock down a three-pointer at the Palestra, entering the game late against Penn on ESPN for his first NCAA basket.
“It’s funny looking back and thinking, ‘Why would you ever be nervous?’” Coyne said. “But you’re just sitting there, you’re cold, there’s 15,000 people in the stands, and he’s going to call your name but you don’t know when it’s coming or if it’s coming. You’re just thrown out there.
“My parents were there and it was a dream come true. It was years of seeing your dream not play out the way you wanted to and then have that opportunity.”
Chris Coyne making the first and only three-pointer of his St. Joe’s career in 2013 against Penn at the Palestra.
Winning it all
Coyne entered his first football contest in 2019 after his friend Brian Hopkins signed him up during a trip to Vegas. He split that entry with Hopkins, and they met each week at a Manhattan bar after work, scribbling down the five games they liked on napkins.
The pool has a $1,000 buy-in and requires each entrant to pick five games every week against the point spread. A proxy then places the bets for them in Vegas, as more than half the players live outside Nevada.
Coyne and Hopkins decided to each enter the next season, and they developed their own strategies. Coyne stays away from Thursday nightgames as he would have to pick all five games by then instead of waiting until Saturday afternoon. The lines for every game lock on Thursday morning, which sometimes means a line could move before Coyne sends in his picks.
He didn’t watch a full NFL game until the middle of October because he was usually busy on Sundays with his kids. He read articles during the week and listened to podcasts. Picking games, Coyne learned, is less about breaking down game tape and more similar to the sales job he has on Wall Street.
“You’re aware of trends,” Coyne said. “When the public A.K.A. retail is buying a lot of stock, that’s never a good sign. Maybe in the short term it works out, but over the long term, you try to find those overreactions in the market where the public really likes a team. Especially if the public loves a team and the line is going against the public.
“That’s the biggest telltale sign right there. You have to have a process and you have to know what you’re doing, but so much of it is you have to get the breaks sometimes. The breaks went my ways sometimes.”
That bedtime story would have been a bit less stressful had the Bills converted their two-point try a week earlier against the Eagles, as Coyne would have entered the final weekend with a three-game lead.
Josh Allen and the Bills’ inability to execute a two-point conversion against the Eagles on Dec. 28 made Coyne’s road to the $1 million a little more stressful.
Coyne was in Berwyn for that game visiting the family of his wife, Maddy, which was rooting for the Birds despite knowing Coyne was in the hunt for big money.
“I’m devastated and I’m like, ‘Can’t you for one week just be on my side?” he said “But Eagles trump all in that household.”
He instead had to sweat it out. He won Saturday night with the 49ers after the Buccaneers lost and then won Sunday with the Giants but lost with the Titans and Dolphins. Coyne said he tends to pick bad teams since he’s often going against the popular choices.
The Steelers won on Sunday night, pushing the second-place entry even with Coyne. He thought they would then split the first and second prizes ($750,000 each) and went to bed disappointed.
“It was a long couple of weeks and I was football fatigued,” Coyne said. “I’m all [ticked] off. But I couldn’t complain. It was still $750,000 and it was a great season, but I didn’t know if I was getting the blue jacket. That’s what I really wanted. It’s like the Masters green.”
Coyne woke up at 5 a.m., checked his phone, and saw he finished in first place on a tiebreaker, because he had more winning weeks than the other entry. The $1 million prize was his. The blue jacket was, too.
Chris Coyne (second from the left) with his friends in Vegas on Jan. 9 after he won the $1 million prize.
Coyne flew to Vegas that weekend with his friends, received his prize, spent 30 hours at the resort, and didn’t take his blue jacket off until he got home.
It was perfect, like a walk-on hitting a three-pointer at the Palestra with his parents in the crowd.
“I spent all of November and December saying, ‘How am I going to screw this up?’” said Coyne, who finished 60-29-1 over 18 weeks. “But somehow I came out on top. It was the weekend of a lifetime.”
