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USA Today
25-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Meet Cooper Flagg's twin brother Ace, who will play college ball in 2025
Cooper Flagg is all set to become the No. 1 overall pick of the Dallas Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night, and when he goes to celebrate with his family, don't be surprised if it looks like he's hugging himself. Flagg has an identical twin named Ace, who is starting his college basketball journey this fall at the University of Maine. Cooper Flagg reclassified to play for Duke in 2024-25 — inspired by an incredible quote from his mom — so while he's the same age as Ace, Cooper was able to finish high school in three years and move onto college. Ace, meanwhile, is a three-star prospect in his own right who is embracing his family's legacy by committing to the Black Bears. Ace and Cooper's mom, Kelly, was a standout on the Maine women's team, where she helped the Black Bears win three conference championships and led the school to an NCAA Tournament upset over Stanford in 1999 as team captain. We'll see if he can recapture some of the family magic when he suits up for Maine next season.
Dominion Post
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
Sam Miller leads Black Bears to 7-6 victory in home opener
MORGANTOWN — The West Virginia Black Bears' home opener for their 10th season couldn't have gone any better. The Black Bears bested the Williamsport Crosscutters 7-6 on Tuesday under the lights of Kendrick Family Ballpark. The Black Bears moved to 3-2 on the season and handed the Crosscutters their first loss. West Virginia is now a game back of Williamsport, who leads the MLB Draft League of six teams. It was the Black Bears' first game in Kendrick Family Ballpark, after starting the season on the road with a 2-2 record. Being part of the MLB Draft League, West Virginia drew an active crowd for the season opener. Sam Miller, who drove in the go-ahead run, enjoyed playing in Morgantown for the first time this season. He lives close by in McMurray, Pa. His sibling goes to WVU. 'I've been around West Virginia for a while,' Miller said. 'I love it. It's pretty cool. I've never played with fans like that at a stadium.' The West Virginia squad put on a good showing for the crowd. With the game tied, Miller, from Columbia University, singled on a line drive, scoring Oklahoma State's Beau Slyvester and the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth. It was entertaining all night. The Black Bears scored at least once in the first four innings. The scoring started with a single from Mario Magana, who's committed to Miami. After a run in the second, Jonny McGill singled to make it 3-0 Black Bears after three. The crowd really got a show in the fourth inning. Connor Hicks, who attends Southeastern, rocketed one over the wall, starting a two run inning for the Black Bears, making it 5-0. The undefeated Crosscutters didn't want to lose their undefeated steak easily. Williamsport finally got on the board in the big sixth inning, scoring four. Then, the Crosscutters tacked on two more, tying the game at six. Although the season is still in the early stages, the team is starting to gel well together, especially after the road trip that included a trip to Maryland. There are players from schools all over, and they'll have plenty of time to learn about each other. 'It's only been like four days, but we're a close-knit group,' Miller said. 'The road trip was huge because we are all in close quarters with each other. The Black Bears' home opener starts a long summer season for upcoming and college players, looking to eventually play in the MLB. Most are looking to improve their skills and keep getting reps throughout the summer offseason. Miller was thrown out twice on the base paths Tuesday night, which the focus of what he wants to work on. 'Definitely getting faster,' Miller said. 'I got thrown out twice tonight, so yeah.' To showcase the players, there is a theme night or discount almost every game, including 90s-night, Star Wars night, fireworks after the game, or Bark in the Park. There are a couple of West Virginia Mountaineers on the roster. Skyler King, Ben Lumsden, Chase Swain, and Spencer Barnett are all listed on the summer roster. However, none of them have played this season because of the recent conclusion to their college postseason on Sunday. It's a long road ahead for the Black Bears. They play almost every day until the beginning of September. Tuesday night was just the beginning of a long journey. 'It was nice to get above .500,' Miller said. '[The crowd] was awesome. It was cool.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pair of Black Bears selected by Topeka in FPHL Expansion Draft
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Following the latest FPHL season, during which Binghamton was able to run it back as back-to-back Commissioners Cup champions, two players are making their way to the center of the United States to continue their FPHL careers. The Topeka Scarecrows will be one of the newest teams to enter the FPHL, and during the expansion draft, they selected Binghamton's Donald Olivieri and Christopher Mott. Olivieri is coming off his third season with Binghamton and has played a crucial role for the Black Bears in recent history. In the past two postseasons, he tallied six goals and nine assists in 15 games. Mott was a new signing last summer and scored a goal in the Empire Division Finals. These selections do not guarantee that they will play for the Scarecrows, but their contract rights are owned by Topeka. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cape's Nick Laughlin poised for big season with UMaine football
Apr. 26—ORONO — Here's the first and most important thing you need to know about Cape Elizabeth's Nick Laughlin and his role with the University of Maine football team. When you bring up his name to his teammates or coaches, the first thing they do is smile. "I love Nick. He's a great guy. He's one of my good friends on the team," said quarterback Carter Peevy. "We can use him as a receiver, a running back, he's got a wide range of skills, which is really going to help us. He's from Maine. He loves this state. He loves this team. I'm really glad we've got him here." Advertisement A redshirt sophomore, Laughlin is changing positions for the Black Bears, moving to running back after starting his college career at wide receiver. The Jeff Cole Memorial Spring Game, played Saturday in a driving rainstorm at Alfond Stadium, was the first chance to see Laughlin at work in his new position. Talking about that makes everyone around the Black Bears smile even more. "Nick is going to be a stud," said offensive coordinator Mikahael Waters. "He was already a stud last year for us and made some big-time plays. We're just trying a way to get him the ball as much as we can." As a freshman, Laughlin's 22 catches were third on the team, and he had 186 yards and a touchdown. He also had three carries, including a 5-yard run at Oklahoma for the first touchdown of his career. Maine coach Jordan Stevens said he considered moving Laughlin to running back when he played the position on the scout team while redshirting during his first year with the program. Now that Laughlin has bulked up from 5 foot 8, 185 pounds he was when he arrived on campus to a solid 5-10, 210 while maintaining his quickness, the move was obvious, Stevens said. Advertisement "He's just really consistent. He's just been a steady guy. That's what he is. He's low maintenance," Stevens said. Laughlin compared his new role with Maine to the role he played at Cape Elizabeth, where coach Sean Green lined him up in a variety of spots to keep defenses guessing. That Laughlin was going to get the ball was obvious, but how? As a junior, he helped the Capers win the Class C state championship. The following season, Laughlin was a finalist for the Fitzpatrick Trophy, given to the top senior in the state. Now, it's just getting up to speed on the nuances of playing running back instead of wideout, Laughlin said. "The biggest thing for me is knowledge of the game. Reading the defenses. Especially now, playing running back, focusing more on the blocking schemes and where the defenses is going to go," he said. Advertisement In Saturday's rain, Laughlin was able to showcase his skills. He had some carries. He caught some passes. He showed a connection with Peevy and an ability to make tacklers miss. That's his greatest strength as a running back, said Laughlin's coaches. He's a Weeble. He gets hit and wobbles, but the first hit is rarely going to take him down. It's called contact balance, and maybe it's his background from playing hockey and lacrosse as well as football, but Laughlin has plenty of it. "A huge part of that is mentality, and I think he definitely has that," said running backs coach Pushaun Brown, who led the Black Bears in rushing as a player in 2010 and 2011. "He plays the game the right way." Laughlin is playing with confidence, Waters said. Peevy can't wait to see his friend in game action in the fall. The Black Bears open the season August 30 at Liberty. "I can't tell you exactly how we're going to use him this season, but if it's anything like the spring, he's going to line up in several spots," Peevy said. Advertisement Early last season, Stevens awarded Laughlin a full scholarship. Laughlin remembers being called into Stevens' office a few days after the season-opening win over Colgate to get the news. "I wasn't sure if I was in trouble," Laughlin said. Laughlin wasn't in trouble. He was just getting started. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Suspected Florida bear attack leaves man, dog dead
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Suspected Florida bear attack leaves man, dog dead JEROME, Fla. – An investigation is underway in Florida after officials say a man and his dog were found dead after a suspected bear attack on Monday. According to information provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the incident occurred in the community of Jerome in Collier County, near State Road 29 and U.s. 41, just south of Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area. How To Watch Fox Weather At a news conference on Monday, the FWC said that residents and visitors in the area were being advised to remain vigilant and to avoid the area while the investigation and search for the bear continued. "Do not attempt to track wildlife," the FWC said. Officials said that after the attack occurred, several officers at the scene worked to secure the perimeter, setting up traps and cameras throughout the area. "They are armed with bear-version guns," the FWC said. "Our number one issue that we wanted to address was public safety." According to a statement from the FWC, three bears were killed by FWC personnel. DNA samples from the three bears were collected and sent to Gainesville for testing. The Bear Necessities Of Living Safely With Florida Black Bears Officials said that if this were a confirmed bear attack, it would be the first fatal bear attack in Florida since records have been kept. More information about the suspected attack is expected to be released on Tuesday. Refresh this page and download the free FOX Weather app for updates on this story. Original article source: Suspected Florida bear attack leaves man, dog dead
