International Basketball Federation Men’s Basketball World Cup: The FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup features 32 different countries, ranging from Australia to South Sudan. Players come from the NBA, G League, and international leagues to represent their home countries. For many players, the World Cup is a prime opportunity to build their international reputation.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has garnered the nickname Captain America, leading the US in scoring an average of 17.3 points per game. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is leading team Canada, averaging 25 points per game to lead all players. Then there’s Slovenia’s Luka Dončić, guard for the Dallas Mavericks, who has dominated international play since his teenage years. The trio of Edwards, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Dončic have combined for six All-NBA selections, despite all three athletes being under 25 years old.
FIBA rules differ from the NBA in three main ways: the three point line is shorter, quarters are only 10 minutes long, and players are allowed to be more physical.
“Scoring is easier in the NBA just because of the different rules,” Dončić said in an interview with Sports Illustrated.
Gilgeous-Alexander and team Canada faced Luka Dončić and team Slovenia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, leading Canada past Slovenia 100–89. They play team Serbia in the semifinals Friday, Sept. 8. Edwards and team USA will face off against Germany in the semifinals, following Canada vs. Serbia.
Betts vs. Acuña; Most Valuable Player Race Heating Up: The National League MVP race is heating up in the last month of the season, with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ utility player Mookie Betts and the Atlanta Braves’ outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. both leading their respective teams to the top two records in the NL. The two matched up this past weekend, with the Braves winning three out of four games in Los Angeles. Acuña went 6/17 in the series with three home runs, including a 454 foot shot off of Emmet Sheehan at 121.2 mph, the third fastest home run in the statcast era. Betts finished the series 5/15 with two home runs while playing gold-glove level defense at right field and second base.
Betts’ season statline sits at .313/.410/1.019, 38 home runs, and a 7.9 Wins Above Replacement. Acuña’s line sits at .332/.412/.988, 33 home runs, 63 stolen bases, and a 6.6 WAR — the only 30 home runs/60 stolen bases season in MLB history. Betts, 30, is widely considered one of the top outfielders in the league and is on a path to win the second MVP of his career in Cooperstown if he keeps up this pace. Also possibly on a path to Cooperstown, Acuña, 25, is recementing himself among the best young superstars in the game after recovering from a torn ACL. In a race this close, it may come down to who finishes the season on a higher note.
University of Colorado Boulder vs. Texas Christian University: When Colorado hired Deion Sanders last December, lofty expectations were placed on the shoulders of the Hall of Famer, known to fans as Prime Time. Sanders led his previous school, Jackson State University, to a 12–1 record in 2022. The Colorado Buffaloes were coming off a 1–11 season and, in hopes of finding similar success, gave Sanders a contract with money they did not yet have.
Coach Sanders brought in 86 new players this season, an unheard of amount of recruits. The most notable additions to the roster include his oldest son, thirdyear and dual threat QB Shadeur Sanders, and second-year Travis Hunter, a wide receiver and cornerback with the potential to be the first constant contributor on offense and defense in NFL history.
The Buffaloes went into Fort Worth and beat No. 17 TCU 45– 42 in a captivating display of offense, athleticism, and star power. In a game where the Buffs were 21 point underdogs to last year’s National Championship finalists, their stars put up impressive statistics. Sanders threw for a program-record 510 passing yards and four passing touchdowns, Hunter had 11 receptions for 119 yards while adding an interception and a broken pass on defense, and four-star first-year running back Dylan Edwards had 159 all-purpose yards with four touchdowns.
Colorado, now with the national media’s attention, heads to Nebraska next week to take on the 0–1 Cornhuskers. Some would say Colorado football is officially prime time.
