Top-20 senior Bryson Howard announced his commitment to Duke on Tuesday, giving Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils their first commitment in the 2026 class.

Bryson Howard, son of former NBA veteran Josh Howard, had a blue-blood recruitment, picking Duke over fellow finalists North Carolina and Kentucky. He took his official visit to Durham, North Carolina, last month, and the Blue Devils maintained their positive momentum from that trip over the last couple of weeks.

“I loved my visit to Duke,” Howard told ESPN. “I spent a lot of time with the coaches and players. We went to Coach Scheyer’s house for dinner, and it felt like home.”

A 6-foot-5 left-handed wing, Howard was one of the biggest risers in the country during the spring and summer while playing for Pro Skills on the Nike EYBL circuit. He averaged 19.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in 21 games, while shooting 46.2% from 3-point range on more than five attempts per game.

Howard went from unranked to No. 28 after the spring and is now No. 20 in the senior class. His shotmaking and upward trajectory should suit Duke.

“When I attended practice, I saw that their style of play fits my game,” he said. “The practice was very positive and full of energy, with a pace that was up and down. Coach Scheyer believes I will thrive in his system.”

Howard excels as an outside shooter with pinpoint accuracy. He has excellent mechanics on his shot, complete with body control, a fluid motion and a high release point. He is equally adept at scoring in catch-and-shoot situations, on the move and off the dribble. When finishing, Howard shows versatility as a reliable lob catcher and fearless driver who absorbs contact and converts at the rim.

Duke has landed the No. 1 recruiting class in each of the last two cycles, with Scheyer eschewing portal-heavy reloads in favor of leaning on talented freshman classes.

After Howard, Duke remains in pursuit of Jordan Smith (No. 2), Cameron Williams (No. 3), Austin Goosby (No. 19) and Maximo Adams (No. 26). Five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. (No. 18) is visiting the Blue Devils’ campus this week, and they hosted Canadian big man Maxime Meyer this past weekend.

They also welcomed elite 2027 prospect Sayon Keita for a visit in the summer, and the FC Barcelona center is a candidate to reclassify to 2026.

FRANKFURT, Germany — Dominik Szoboszlai has said Liverpool‘s four-game losing streak has led to “a lot of meetings” in an effort to drag the faltering champions out of their slump.

Liverpool face Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League in Germany on Wednesday hoping to avoid a fifth straight defeat in all competitions — a sequence that the club has not recorded since September 1953.

Sunday’s 2-1 home league defeat against Manchester United — their first Anfield loss against United since January 2016 — has put Liverpool on the brink of their worst run of results for 72 years and midfielder Szoboszlai said that Arne Slot’s players have been trying to talk themselves out of the nosedive they have been in since a 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace last month sparked their losing run.

“It never happened in my career but in a lot of guys’ career they lost four in a row,” Szoboszlai said. “We have to stick together, that’s important.

“We had a lot of meetings, we spoke with each other and the most important thing is we stay together — it is the most important thing when it is a hard time. We are ready to show a reaction and that’s what we’re going to do.

“This will turn. If you work hard and keep going the luck will go on your side.

“Hitting the post three times [against United], we created chances and did not let chances for the team we played against. Sometimes it happens.”

Liverpool face Frankfurt having lost away to Galatasaray on their last Champions League fixture and Slot’s team had a disrupted build-up to the game due to the squad flight to Germany being delayed by almost four hours on Tuesday due to a “technical error.”

And although 24 teams qualify from the League Stage, giving the biggest clubs a healthy cushion during the eight-game stage, Hungary international Szoboszlai says Liverpool must win in Frankfurt to kick-start their season.

“From two games we won only one and lost another one so we have to take the three points for sure,” he said.

“But most important we have to show the character we have, what Liverpool can do and what we are able to do.

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“We showed it last season becoming champions and now everyone is ready for us but that’s a good thing, you have to take it as a positive and be ready for them.

“For me this Champions League campaign is something special as the final is in Budapest.

“But it is a long journey so we have a lot things to do, to learn and change and just focus on ourselves.”

COLOMBO: Pakistan’s hopes for advancing to the semi-final ended as South Africa beat them in a rain-affected Women’s World Cup 2025 game at the R Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday.

Chasing a revised target of 234 in 20 overs after multiple rain interruptions, the Green Shirts were restricted to 83/7, losing the game by 150 runs.

Wicketkeeper batter Sidra Nawaz remained the top-scorer for Pakistan with an unbeaten 22 off 33 deliveries, followed by Natalia Pervaiz, who made a 24-ball 20. The duo also shared a 31-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Marizanne Kapp led the bowling charge for South Africa, taking three wickets for just 20 runs in her five overs. She was supported by Nondumiso Shangase, who made two strikes, while Ayabonga Khaka chipped in with one.

The 150-run victory lifted South Africa to the top of the ICC Women’s World Cup standings as they now have 10 points in six matches with a net run rate of 0.276.

Put into bat first, the Proteas Women piled up a formidable total of 312/5 in the allotted 40 overs as the match was reduced due to a two-hour-long rain interruption.

Pakistan, however, were initially set to chase the 306-run target in 40 overs as per the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS).

South Africa got off to a contrasting start to their innings as Pakistan captain Fatima Sana dismissed Tazmin Brits for a four-ball duck in the second over with just five runs on the board.

However, after the rain interruption, Laura Wolvaardt and Luus anchored the innings by putting together a crucial 118-run partnership, which saw both of them amass half-centuries.

The stand eventually culminated in the 17th over when Nashra Sandhu got Luss caught at extra cover. The right-handed batter scored 61 off 59 deliveries, laced with 10 boundaries, including two sixes.

South Africa then lost another wicket in quick succession as Annerie Dercksen got run out in the 22nd over after mustering nine off 17 deliveries.

Following the back-to-back setbacks, experienced all-rounder Kapp joined skipper Wolvaardt in the middle for a vital 64-run partnership for the fourth wicket until the opener fell victim to Sandhu in the 31st over.

Wolvaardt remained the top-scorer for South Africa with 90 off 82 deliveries, studded with 10 fours and two sixes.

Kapp, on the other hand, stood her ground firm and bolstered South Africa’s total with an unbeaten 68 off 43 deliveries, laced with six fours and three sixes. She was adequately supported by Nadine de Klerk, who played a blistering cameo of 41 runs from just 16 deliveries, featuring three fours and four sixes.

Sandhu was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan, taking three wickets for 45 runs in eight overs, followed by Sadia Iqbal with two, while Fatima made one scalp.