Sports
Wetzel: A coach’s lessons on fatherhood … from 1948
Inside a tiny courtroom in a tiny (population 202) Mississippi town on Thursday, the football world awaited a decision on the college eligibility of Ole Miss star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
Chambliss would eventually be granted an injunction against the NCAA that would provide him with a sixth year of eligibility and send him back to Oxford as a Heisman favorite for the championship-contending Rebels. The NFL draft would have to wait another year.
Yet for all the significance of the decision, the most passionately discussed item to emerge was about … fatherhood?
Part of Chambliss’ argument was that in 2022, a severe case of tonsillitis significantly impacted his sleep and caused him to not see any on-field action, entitling him to a medical redshirt season.
Ole Miss quarterbacks coach Joe Judge, formerly the head coach of the New York Giants, was called in to testify for Chambliss. One of the questions was about the importance of sleep for football players.
Judge decided to lean on his experience in both the pros and college and discuss how he handled players who had a child born during the season — and their significant others.
“We would have to educate,” Judge said of the conversations he would have with the baby’s mother. “This is always a tough conversation to have. It’s not even popular.
“We would have to educate significant others who may have been pregnant during the season or have a baby during the season,” Judge continued.
“And you have to educate them on, ‘You have this baby in the middle of season, that father has to play good football, right? It’s a day-by-day production business. He has to be ready to perform and go out there and play … You need to let him sleep. He needs to be in another room, detached.'”
“You have to explain to the mother like, ‘Hey, listen, he ain’t waking up for midnight feedings. After the season, he’s full-metal jacket. You do whatever you want with him. He can change every diaper. But in season, he’s got to have different priorities,'” Judge concluded.
Football coaches, they don’t just teach the game, they teach life lessons … from 1948.
Let’s give Joe Judge a little grace here. The married father of four is known in football for his decency and for being extremely family-oriented, which isn’t universal in that business. Testifying can also be nerve-racking, and given a do-over, he’d probably have left that analogy out or at least added further explanation.
He was trying to make a point to help his player get an injunction; he certainly didn’t expect it to go viral.
And look, if one parent wants to go through the meat grinder of handling every single middle-of-the-night feeding, diaper change and so on, all so the other parent can rack out in another room 10 hours a night because he has to play Arkansas next week, hey, that’s up to the couple.
Or maybe what Judge was suggesting — given how much money college players, let alone his former NFL players, earn — was to hire a night nurse or get family help to ease the burden.
That said, a passionate debate about fatherhood erupted.
“Don’t listen to this, young men,” DeMarvion Overshown, a Dallas Cowboys linebacker (and father of two boys) wrote on social media above a video clip of Judge’s comments. “Be there for the mother of your child and let the rest take care of itself.
“Those midnight feedings turn into financial freedom, because nothing will inspire you more than being a great father,” Overshown concluded.
Overshown couldn’t be more correct about that.
Being a father isn’t about being one when it’s convenient and you’re properly rested. It’s about being there for the hard stuff, and there will be more hard stuff than a new dad can even fathom, far harder than 2 a.m. wakeups (little kids, little problems; big kids, big problems).
Those early moments are about connecting with a child that you love more than you could have ever imagined, a bond that will refocus your entire world to the point where you would do anything for them, including pushing to become the best version of yourself.
That includes trying to embrace maturity and accountability, focus and perspective. It can drive you to be a better student, better worker, a better friend and certainly a better partner.
There is no doubt that proper rest helps athletes, but so can exchanging selfishness for selflessness and teamwork. Showing a child respect for their mother may be the most important thing you can do.
Balancing work and home is one of the great challenges of life, whether the office is a sold-out football stadium or not. Providing for your family is part of every father’s job, but providing means far more than just money.
Those midnight feedings tend to produce midnight lessons you can’t learn any other way.
On Feb. 15, the NBA will debut a new All-Star Game format that features three teams in a mini “USA vs. the World” tournament. The rosters are stacked with stars: The USA teams include future Hall of Famers, and the world squad has some of the top international talents in the NBA.
Based on that All-Star tweak, we’ve decided to put together our own “USA vs. the World” teams in college basketball.
The NBA’s international team features players from around the world — and Karl-Anthony Towns, who was born in New Jersey but whose late mother was from the Dominican Republic. He has stated his desire to one day honor her by playing for the Dominican national team in the Olympics.
We’ve used similar criteria to add players to our world team. They either were born in another country, have played for another country’s national team, or have a parent from another country and could qualify to represent that nation one day, even if they’re U.S.-born.
Each team has five starters, eight reserves and two alternates.
Who are you picking in this matchup? Team USA or Team World?
TEAM WORLD
Starters
G Christian Anderson, Texas Tech (Germany)
The Texas Tech star (19.6 PPG, 7.5 APG, 44% from beyond the arc) is the son of a German father and recently played for Germany’s 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup team. In that event, he averaged 17.3 PPG, leading the nation to a silver medal. He could be an All-American this season and represent Germany once again in the 2028 Olympic Summer Games.
G/F AJ Dybantsa, BYU (Jamaica)
The potential No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft was born and raised in Boston, and he has won three gold medals with Team USA in FIBA competition. He also has a connection to Jamaica, where his mother was born. Dybantsa recently launched a relief effort to help the country recover after Hurricane Melissa. He’ll also have a path to represent his mother’s homeland in international competition one day, if he so chooses.
F Nate Ament, Tennessee (Rwanda)
Ament, a 6-foot-10 projected lottery pick, has averaged 25.4 PPG and connected on 50% of his 3-point attempts in Tennessee’s past five games. The Vols are 4-1 during that stretch. He’s on this roster because of his basketball prowess, but also because of his connection to his mother’s home country, Rwanda, where he also organized a basketball camp and charitable effort last summer.
F Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan (Dominican Republic)
Lendeborg is the leader of a Wolverines squad that is ranked first on KenPom. He has made 67% of his shots inside the arc this season. Off the court and on it, he has strong ties to the Dominican Republic, which both his mother and father represented in national competition. Lendeborg has stated a desire to follow in their footsteps and play for the country in future competitions.
C Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s (Nigeria)
He was born in Texas, but the Big East Preseason Player of the Year moved to Nigeria with his family when he was young before returning to the United States in the sixth grade — and incidentally discovering a love for basketball. Ejiofor, who had 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and three steals in his team’s win over UConn on Friday, has helped St. John’s win 10 games in a row.
Reserves
G Aden Holloway, Alabama (Canada)
In 2023, Holloway scored 15 points at the Nike Hoop Summit, where he represented Canada. His tie to the country? The Alabama guard’s mother was born in Calgary and raised in Toronto. This season, he’s averaging 17.2 PPG and connecting on 44% of his shots from beyond the arc.
F Thijs De Ridder, Virginia (Belgium)
The standout freshman helped Belgium secure a fourth-place finish in the FIBA U20 European Championship in 2023. At Virginia, De Ridder is averaging 16.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 37% from 3, helping to make the Cavaliers an ACC contender in Ryan Odom’s first season as head coach.
C Rueben Chinyelu, Florida (Nigeria)
He has played a pivotal role in Florida’s turnaround in the second half of this season, making 69% of his shots around the rim and holding opposing players to a 40% clip in the same category, per Synergy Sports.
G Ebuka Okorie, Stanford (Nigeria)
The freshman standout scored 40 points in a win over Georgia Tech on Saturday and has now scored at least 25 points in 11 games. He’s currently sixth in the nation in scoring (22.4 PPG). His family is from Nigeria, and he has done nonprofit work there as well.
F Alex Condon, Florida (Australia)
The Australian forward withdrew from the NBA draft in the offseason for a chance to win another national title. He has positioned the Gators to do exactly that with a strong start to his junior season, averaging 13.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 3.7 APG and 1.5 BPG.
F Flory Bidunga, Kansas (Democratic Republic of Congo)
The Kansas big man has held the Jayhawks together in a turbulent season full of injuries and adversity. Hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo, he’s averaging an impressive 14.5 PPG, 8.9 RPG and 2.6 BPG.
C Henri Veesaar, North Carolina (Estonia)
Veesaar’s clutch 3 in the final minutes of UNC’s win over Duke on Saturday was his biggest moment in a season full of highlights. The Estonian center is averaging 16.8 PPG and 9.0 RPG for the Tar Heels after transferring from Arizona.
G Chad Baker-Mazara, USC (Dominican Republic)
The Dominican forward is on the midseason top-10 watch list for the Julius Erving Award (the nation’s top small forward) after averaging 18.3 PPG and connecting on 37% of his attempts from the 3-point line for USC. He lived in the Caribbean country until he moved to the United States for high school.
Alternates
G Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor (Benin)
Averaging 17.7 PPG and 2.1 SPG for the struggling Bears, the 6-5 wing is a projected first-round pick in the upcoming draft and could become the first NBA player from Benin, a nation of 14 million.
F Rienk Mast, Nebraska (Netherlands)
Nebraska’s undefeated streak came to an end versus Michigan on Jan. 27, a matchup Mast missed because of injury. But when on the floor, the 6-10 forward from the Netherlands is averaging 14.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 3.0 APG for the Cornhuskers, who are chasing their first conference title in more than 70 years.
TEAM USA
Starters
Kelvin Sampson rarely trusts young players to lead his teams. But Flemings, who’s averaging 17.1 PPG, 37% from 3 and 5.9 APG, has earned that responsibility in a stellar freshman season. Against BYU on Saturday, he helped his team make a second-half run to win a fourth consecutive game. With him at the point, the Cougars are now one game behind Arizona in the race for the Big 12 title.
G Darryn Peterson, Kansas
The narrative surrounding Peterson has switched between injury concerns (11 missed games) and a buzz that he’s not only the potential No. 1 draft pick but also possibly the best player in America. He has made the case with his numbers: 20.5 PPG, 42% from beyond the arc, 55% inside the arc, 79% from the charity stripe.
F Caleb Wilson, North Carolina
UNC’s freshman superstar put his stamp on the season with his 23-point effort in Saturday’s thrilling 71-68 victory over rival Duke. The 6-10 big man had been playing at a high level well before, but his effort in the biggest rivalry in the sport might have helped him secure a spot on one of the AP All-America teams at the end of the season.
Last season, former Duke superstar Cooper Flagg put together one of the greatest freshman seasons in recent college basketball history. Boozer (23.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 38% from 3) is having a year that’s superior in many categories. He also has been the frontrunner — without any real competition — all season in the national player of the year race.
F Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
The Iowa State standout is the anchor for a team that’s chasing a top-three seed in the NCAA tournament. Jefferson (17.2 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, 41% from beyond the arc) is one of the most versatile offensive players in the country and an excellent defender. At 6-9, he’s one of America’s most difficult matchups.
Reserves
The only returning AP first-team All-American entered the season as the favorite to win the Wooden Award. He’s second in the nation in assists (8.7 APG) in what has also turned out to be a better season than a year ago (43% from 3).
The Arkansas point guard is the latest ball handler for John Calipari with All-American aspirations. He’s an excellent shooter (42% from 3) and playmaker (6.3 APG). He’s also trustworthy (3-1 assist-to-turnover ratio). Acuff is a complete guard and could lead the Razorbacks in making some noise in the NCAA tournament.
A year after the Tigers reached the Final Four under his father, first-year head coach Steven Pearl could lead a brand-new roster to the NCAA tournament. Hall (21.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 40% from the 3-point line), a transfer from UCF, is the catalyst for the 12th-best team in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom.
He was a four-star prospect in the 2025 class after winning a high school state title in Kansas last year. He has turned into a strong contender for Big Ten Player of the Year after leading Illinois to the top of the league standings despite the Illini missing standout Kylan Boswell due to a wrist injury.
F Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Momcilovic was named to the Julius Erving Award midseason top-10 list following a strong start to the 2025-26 season. Not only is he averaging 18.7 PPG, but he’s also the top 3-point shooter in the country by a healthy margin (53.3%).
F Thomas Haugh, Florida
Haugh decided to return to college this season to improve his NBA draft stock. It appears to have been the right move. He’s averaging 17.8 PPG and 6.4 RPG, including scoring 22 points in an 86-67 win over Texas A&M on Saturday — a win that catapulted the Gators to first place in the SEC.
F JT Toppin, Texas Tech
The Texas Tech star has developed rapidly in recent years. He was an unheralded freshman at New Mexico before taking home Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors. He secured a second-team AP All-America nod last season. As a junior, he’s averaging 21.8 PPG and 10.6 RPG, and could pick up more awards this season.
G Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama
Philon’s 25-point effort Saturday helped the Crimson Tide knock off rival Auburn. It wasn’t an unusual performance from one of the top players in the SEC, however. The combo guard has had 11 games this season with at least 17 points and five assists.
Alternates
The Gonzaga star has improved every season, and this campaign, he has an offensive rating that’s among the best in the nation. The 6-9 forward has made 60% of his shots inside the arc and 37% of his shots outside. He’s also a critical part of one of Mark Few’s best defensive teams.
Karaban could finish his fourth season in Storrs with a third national title. He averages 13.5 PPG and 42% from 3 and remains the steady leader on a stacked Huskies roster featuring multiple players who can step up on any given night.
The “Quadg0d” fell multiple times during the free skate, and Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov won the gold.
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Olympic gold medalist, future NBA Hall of Famer Chris Paul calls it a career: ‘Filled with so much joy’
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Chris Paul has made a decision about his basketball future.
On Friday, the likely future Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer announced he would step away from the NBA after the Toronto Raptors waived the 40-year-old guard.
“It’s time for me to show up for others and in other ways,” Paul wrote in an Instagram post. “This last season, I knew I couldn’t do it unless I was at home with my family.”
Paul re-signed with the Los Angeles Clippers over the summer, but the team sent him home in December. He landed in Toronto via a three-team trade last week but never took the court for the Raptors.
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Chris Paul of the LA Clippers during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center Nov. 22, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (David Jensen/Getty Images)
Paul walks away from professional basketball with more than 20,000 points and 10,000 assists, the first player in NBA history to reach those totals. He was named to 12 All-Star teams and earned All-NBA honors 11 times in his storied career.
LEBRON JAMES ENDS HISTORIC 21-YEAR STREAK AFTER MISSING TOO MANY GAMES THIS SEASON
The North Carolina native is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist, helping Team USA achieve glory in 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London.
Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers jogs off court during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Intuit Dome Nov. 29, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Paul’s first stint with the Clippers began in 2011, when he played alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The trio helped lead Los Angeles to six consecutive playoff appearances. He returned to the franchise for what was widely viewed as his final NBA season, a full-circle moment that could have capped his career.
Paul appeared in just 16 games in his second stint with the Clippers and averaged 2.9 points and 3.3 assists per game. He did play in all 82 games during his lone season with the San Antonio Spurs in 2024-25.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) celebrates a basket in the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center in Minneapolis March 8, 2017. (Brad Rempel/USA Today Sports)
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Paul made his NBA debut with the New Orleans Hornets, who were later renamed the Pelicans. Aside from his time with the Clippers and Spurs, Paul also played for the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors.
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