Maxim Naumov Felt His 'Parents Guiding' Him in His Olympic Debut 1 Year After They Died in D.C. Plane Crash

Maxim Naumov Felt His 'Parents Guiding' Him in His Olympic Debut 1 Year After They Died in D.C. Plane Crash Julie MazziottaFebruary 11, 2026 at 12:45 AM 0 Maxim Naumov holds a picture of his parents after skating in the 2026 Winter Olympics WANG Zhao / AFP via Getty Maxim Naumov made his Olympic debut on Tuesday night in Milan The 24yearold said he felt his "parents guiding" him during his short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics Naumov qualified for the free skate program on Friday Maxim Naumov felt a calmness that he hadn't felt before when he made his Olympic debut on Tuesday night.

- - Maxim Naumov Felt His 'Parents Guiding' Him in His Olympic Debut 1 Year After They Died in D.C. Plane Crash

Julie MazziottaFebruary 11, 2026 at 12:45 AM

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Maxim Naumov holds a picture of his parents after skating in the 2026 Winter Olympics

WANG Zhao / AFP via Getty

Maxim Naumov made his Olympic debut on Tuesday night in Milan

The 24-year-old said he felt his "parents guiding" him during his short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Naumov qualified for the free skate program on Friday

Maxim Naumov felt a calmness that he hadn't felt before when he made his Olympic debut on Tuesday night.

In front of a boisterous crowd, the 24-year-old had one of the best short program performances of his life, thanks to a stillness he felt was his parents, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, looking over him, a year after they tragically died in the D.C. plane crash.

"Usually I'm a little jittery and kind of — I rush a little bit — and I felt none of that here," Naumov told reporters, including PEOPLE, after his performance on Tuesday, Feb. 10. "The calm, the stillness, the confidence. I tried to lean as much into that as I possibly could."

Naumov, who was given a score of 85.65 and has qualified for the free skate on Friday, attributed the feeling to his parents, who were also his coaches.

Maxim Naumov at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty

"I felt almost like a hand on my back pushing me forward and, just feeling my parents guiding me, from one element to another and just kind of keeping me grounded, almost like a chess piece on a chessboard from one element to another, but it was unlike any other feeling I've ever felt before," he said.

The bronze medalist at the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships also credits the fan support over the last year in helping him succeed.

"The support and the presence from everyone that's been supporting me through the entire season, it all played a factor. All the prayers and the thoughts, I really do feel it, and I felt it throughout the entire thing," Naumov said. "It's almost like I closed my eyes and I opened them again and I was on my knees at the end and just looking up and saying, 'Man, look what we just did.' "

When asked how he thinks his parents would have reacted, Naumov couldn't help but smile.

"I know for a fact that my mom wouldn't have been here watching, that's for sure," he said, grinning. "She never liked to watch me in person. She would always be refreshing the scores thing and making sure that she's on top of it, but nervous out of her mind, but supporting me in her own way always."

His dad, on the other hand, "Would be right next to me and give me the biggest hug and just say I'm proud of you," Naumov said.

Naumov will now wait to see how the rest of the night shakes out for the men's figure skaters, including for his Team USA teammates Andrew Torgashev and Ilia Malinin. He'll spend the next two days preparing for his free skate on Friday night — something he thinks his dad would have reminded him of tonight.

"[He would be] saying the job's not finished and when we have a goal as a family on our minds, there's nothing that's going to stop us from getting there," Naumov said.

To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.

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Maxim Naumov Felt His 'Parents Guiding' Him in His Olympic Debut 1 Year After They Died in D.C. Plane Crash

Maxim Naumov Felt His 'Parents Guiding' Him in His Olympic Debut 1 Year After They Died in D.C. Plane Crash ...

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Norwegian biathlete admits to cheating on his girlfriend in post-win interview

Norwegian biathlete admits to cheating on his girlfriend in postwin interview Angela YangFebruary 11, 2026 at 12:47 AM 0 Bronze medalist Sturla Holm Laegreid of Team Norway on day four of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games on Tuesday in AntholzAnterselva, Italy. (Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images) (Alexander Hassenstein) Winning an Olympic medal spurred a Norwegian biathlete to shoot his shot … with his exgirlfriend.

- - Norwegian biathlete admits to cheating on his girlfriend in post-win interview

Angela YangFebruary 11, 2026 at 12:47 AM

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Bronze medalist Sturla Holm Laegreid of Team Norway on day four of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games on Tuesday in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy. (Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images) (Alexander Hassenstein)

Winning an Olympic medal spurred a Norwegian biathlete to shoot his shot … with his ex-girlfriend.

In an emotional interview after he earned the bronze medal in the men's 20km biathlon at the 2026 Milano Cortina games on Tuesday, Sturla Holm Lægreid surprised audiences with an unprompted personal confession.

Three months ago, he cheated on "the love of [his] life, the most beautiful and kindest person."

"I told her a week ago. And it's been the worst week of my life," he told Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK). "I had a gold medal in life, and there's probably a lot of people out there who look at me differently now, but I only have eyes for her. Sports has taken a bit of a back seat these past couple of days. Yeah, I wish I could share this with her."

Lægreid brought up the topic by saying that he had wanted to share his win with someone "who might not be watching today."

Without naming his ex-partner, he said that he met her six months ago. She broke up with him once he told her about his betrayal.

"I'm not ready to give up. I hope that committing social suicide [like this] might show her how much I love her," Lægreid said. I accept the consequences of what I've done. I regret it with all my heart. Maybe I'm dumb as a rock. I'm a member of Mensa, but I still do stupid stuff."

He said he's "realized that this is the woman of my life, and I can't live my whole life keeping that from her. My only path to the finish line is to tell her everything and put it all on the table, and hope that she'll still love me. I've done that for her, and now for the entire world. I've nothing to lose."

The attempt to make an appeal to his ex on the global stage quickly made the rounds online, stirring intrigue and confusion online. One Swedish sports journalist called it the "strangest medal interview I've seen."

Lægreid is a six-time Biathlon World Champion and was a relay gold medalist at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. His bronze win Tuesday was his first Olympic medal this year.

When asked how he managed to score the bronze despite his tough week, Lægreid told NRK that his club back home sent him a video that he used for motivation.

"I want to be a good role model, but I have to own up to my mistakes," he said. "You have to recognize when you've done something you can't defend and hurt someone you love so deeply."

When asked about his infidelity, Lægreid's teammate Johannes Dale-Skjevdal said some fellow athletes were aware of the incident.

"Yeah, we knew. I don't have much to say about it," Dale-Skjevdal told NRK. "It's good that he's open about it, and if he wants to talk about things, that's fine, but I think it's difficult for me to comment on now."

Martin Uldal, however, said he was in the dark,

"I've noticed that he's been acting differently, but I didn't really know why," Uldal said. "I thought it was maybe just nerves. I'm very sad to hear it. It's a really tough situation. We will comfort him."

Botn, who earned the gold medal in Lægreid's event, said the whole affair is "none of [his] business," and that his own win was "first and foremost a personal and emotional victory" — before Lægreid cut in to apologize.

"Sorry if I ruined your day," Lægreid said. "But I think he understands. I don't want to steal the limelight today."

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Norwegian biathlete admits to cheating on his girlfriend in post-win interview

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NFL has a short break before it's time for the combine, free agency and the draft

NFL has a short break before it's time for the combine, free agency and the draft ROB MAADDI February 11, 2026 at 1:34 AM 0 1 / 2Super Bowl FootballSeattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald and quarterback Sam Darnold, left, hold the Lombardi Trophy after a win over the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Don't blink because the NFL will be back in less than two weeks. Now that the Seattle Seahawks have been crowned Super Bowl champions, it's on to the 2026 season.

- - NFL has a short break before it's time for the combine, free agency and the draft

ROB MAADDI February 11, 2026 at 1:34 AM

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1 / 2Super Bowl FootballSeattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald and quarterback Sam Darnold, left, hold the Lombardi Trophy after a win over the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Don't blink because the NFL will be back in less than two weeks.

Now that the Seattle Seahawks have been crowned Super Bowl champions, it's on to the 2026 season. That'll kick off with the annual scouting combine in Indianapolis from Feb. 23-March 2.

Free agency follows on March 9 with the two-day negotiating period. The annual league meeting begins on March 29 in Phoenix.

The 10 teams that hired a new head coach may begin offseason workout programs on April 6. Other teams can start on April 20.

The NFL draft is in Pittsburgh from April 23-25.

Here are some of the NFL's top upcoming storylines:

International games

The league will play a record nine international games, including the first-ever regular-season games in Melbourne, Australia, Paris and Rio de Janeiro.

The San Francisco 49ers will face the division-rival Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a venue that holds about 100,000 spectators.

The Dallas Cowboys will be one of the teams playing in Rio. The league has played two other games in Brazil in São Paulo. The teams facing off in Paris haven't been determined.

The other sites include three games in London, one in Madrid, one in Mexico City, and one in Munich.

The league is aiming to play 16 international games per season but it's going to take negotiating with the NFL Players Association to make that happen.

"I think you have to look at a few things," NFL executive Jeff Miller told the AP last week. "One is obviously our operations team needs to make sure that the markets where we could potentially play are good for us. That's everything from the medical infrastructure to the hotels, to the practice facilities, and of course the surface, which has been a point of conversation. The travel back and forth matters. How are they going to be able to acclimate coming back? ... So we have to figure out from a scheduling perspective, knowing we're only playing a game a week for the clubs, how that works in with the travel that's necessary and the distances they have to go."

David White, the union's interim executive director, said players "appreciate a global stage" but the experience hasn't always been great.

"Here's the issue: They've got a lot of feedback about not having good experiences because it's inconsistent," White said.

Expanding to 18 games

It's likely the league won't get to 16 games internationally until they expand to 18 regular-season games, which is "not a given" according to Commissioner Roger Goodell.

"We're only limited by the supply, not the demand," Miller said about international games. "There's huge demand internationally for NFL football to play games. If you expand to greater inventory, then maybe you're at a place where every team can play a game internationally. That would be terrific for the group."

Goodell pointed out player safety concerns, competitive issues, the potential need to add another bye and roster sizes as areas that have to be addressed through collective bargaining before the league could expand to 18 games. The current CBA between the NFL and its players' union expires in 2030.

White said players have "no appetite" for expanding the schedule so conversations aren't even imminent.

Rule changes

The NFL Competition Committee and teams are expected to propose several rule changes that would require the owners' approval.

Banning the tush push could be among those. Even though the Philadelphia Eagles didn't have quite the same success running the play this season, officials had trouble officiating it. A proposal that bans pushing and pulling ballcarriers might get enough traction.

The league is exploring replay review to potentially include crackback blocks, low blocks/clipping, blindside blocks, intentional grounding (determine a receiver's position on the field) and illegal formation on kickoffs (determine feet on the ground when the ball is touched).

Throwing a flag for penalties after reviewing video would be a significant change if it happens. Replay review currently only allows for picking up a flag that was incorrectly thrown.

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NFL has a short break before it's time for the combine, free agency and the draft ROB MAADDI February 11, 2026 at ...

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Will Campbell says he tore knee ligament during 2025 season

Will Campbell says he tore knee ligament during 2025 season Jack McKessy, USA TODAYFebruary 10, 2026 at 11:22 PM 0 Will Campbell says he tore knee ligament during 2025 season New England Patriots left tackle Will Campbell broke his media silence with a significant revelation on Feb. 10. After leaving the Patriots' locker room after the Super Bowl without talking to members of the media, Campbell spoke to reporters a couple of days later. According to Mark Daniels of MassLive, the firstyear offensive lineman said he tore a ligament in his knee during the season.

- - Will Campbell says he tore knee ligament during 2025 season

Jack McKessy, USA TODAYFebruary 10, 2026 at 11:22 PM

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Will Campbell says he tore knee ligament during 2025 season

New England Patriots left tackle Will Campbell broke his media silence with a significant revelation on Feb. 10.

After leaving the Patriots' locker room after the Super Bowl without talking to members of the media, Campbell spoke to reporters a couple of days later. According to Mark Daniels of MassLive, the first-year offensive lineman said he tore a ligament in his knee during the season.

Campbell said he played at less than 100% during the Patriots' Super Bowl run but also said it was not an excuse for his struggles down the stretch.

Campbell missed all of December after landing on injured reserve with a knee injury he sustained in a Week 12 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Campbell had to be carted to the locker room after the injury, and he landed on injured reserve the following week. After missing the minimum four games on IR, Campbell returned for Week 18 and the playoffs.

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makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.

" style=padding-bottom:56%>Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.

" data-src=https://ift.tt/FtQZSqK class=caas-img data-headline="Best images of the 2025 NFL season" data-caption="

Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.

">Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.

" src=https://ift.tt/FtQZSqK class=caas-img>

1 / 4Best images of the 2025 NFL season

Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft allowed 14 pressures against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60, according to Next Gen Stats. That was the most allowed by a single player in any game during the 2025 season, including the playoffs.

Next Gen Stats also attributed 29 total pressures allowed to Campbell over the course of the Patriots' playoff run, which is the most of any player since 2016, the beginning of the Next Gen Stats era.

In the days after the Super Bowl, more than a handful of current and former offensive linemen took to social media to analyze Campbell's struggles. Several pointed to a lack of solid base/foundation in his stance, which could be chalked up to the knee injury he was still recovering from.

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said on Feb. 10 that he and the team have no plans to move Campbell to the interior after his rough outing.

"Will's 22 years old. He's our left tackle," Vrabel said. "He'll get better and get stronger. (There were) moments where he played well, moments where he blocked a guy. There's plays he'd like to have back; we're not moving him to guard or center or tight end or anywhere else."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What happened to Will Campbell? Patriots LT says he tore knee ligament

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Will Campbell says he tore knee ligament during 2025 season

Will Campbell says he tore knee ligament during 2025 season Jack McKessy, USA TODAYFebruary 10, 2026 at 11:22 PM 0 Wi...

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The NBA's tanking crisis — and why Adam Silver can’t ignore it

The NBA's tanking crisis — and why Adam Silver can't ignore it Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAYFebruary 10, 2026 at 8:25 PM 1 It's no longer a whisper; the NBA has a brazen and embarrassing tanking problem. The Utah Jazz closed the third quarter Monday, Feb. 9 against the Miami Heat up by three. They had been dominating Miami in the paint on both ends. Their size was the big reason why. Forward Jaren Jackson Jr., the prized acquisition Utah made just one week prior, was at 22 points through 25 minutes. Star forward Lauri Markkanen added 17 in 24:38.

- - The NBA's tanking crisis — and why Adam Silver can't ignore it

Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAYFebruary 10, 2026 at 8:25 PM

1

It's no longer a whisper; the NBA has a brazen and embarrassing tanking problem.

The Utah Jazz closed the third quarter Monday, Feb. 9 against the Miami Heat up by three. They had been dominating Miami in the paint on both ends. Their size was the big reason why.

Forward Jaren Jackson Jr., the prized acquisition Utah made just one week prior, was at 22 points through 25 minutes. Star forward Lauri Markkanen added 17 in 24:38. Veteran center Jusuf Nurkić was a problem all night to the tune of 10 points and 16 rebounds.

Yet, with a victory in sight, Jazz coach Will Hardy took self-sabotage and shameless tanking to a new level, sitting the trio for the entire fourth quarter.

In a twist of karmic justice, Miami was so poor down the stretch that the Jazz somehow overcame a late five-point deficit to win, 115-111.

This was the second consecutive game that Hardy had pulled the stunt. Even worse: it appears this will be Utah's standard operating procedure moving forward.

After the game, a reporter asked Hardy how close he was to subbing Jackson or Markkanen back in.

"I wasn't," Hardy responded, plainly and without elaboration.

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

" data-src=https://ift.tt/1xm8Uh0 class=caas-img data-headline="Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents" data-caption="

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

">Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

" src=https://ift.tt/1xm8Uh0 class=caas-img>

1 / 8Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponentsOct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors' Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.

This is an existential problem, one NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the Board of Governors must fix. Yes, the draft is expected to feature at least three elite-level players, but if the NBA doesn't take prompt action, anti-competitive behavior will spread to other teams also looking to manipulate outcomes.

It's out in the open now, and this will come to stain the last quarter of the season. The product will suffer. And fans, as they should, will flee. As such, the NBA is compromised.

And with the explosive growth of online sports gambling and prediction markets, these actions only invite further cracks in the integrity and competitive balance of the sport.

The NBA's player participation policy is designed to foil tanks by mandating that teams play their stars with regularity. But the Jazz have found a workaround to the rule. Their impact players start games, they just don't finish them. And thus, they make a mockery of the policy.

"We've got to find a way to win against teams that are, I guess you can say, trying to lose," Heat center Bam Adebayo told reporters after the game.

Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy watches from the sideline during his team's game against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on Feb. 9, 2026.

Frankly, though Hardy will never admit this publicly, the directive to tank is almost certainly coming from his bosses.

Utah's 2026 first-round pick is top-eight protected, which means that if the lottery places its selection anywhere from Nos. 1 through 8, the pick stays with the team. If it drops to No. 9 or below, that pick is conveyed to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

And while it makes total economic sense — the good fortune of drafting a franchise-altering player instantly pumps millions in value — the flagrant tanking debases the sport and insults the fan who invests time and capital.

Utah (17-37) isn't alone. The Washington Wizards (14-38) traded for a pair of veterans, Anthony Davis and Trae Young, who have 14 combined All-Star appearances. They were curious win-now moves for a team that's currently second-to-last in the East.

Davis and Young were both hurt when they were acquired, and it's unclear when they'll make their return — if they do at all.

A recent NBA TV report indicated that Davis was not expected to return the rest of the season with left hand and groin injuries.

Young has been dealing with a sprained knee. The timeline for both is nebulous, at best.

Wizards general manager Will Dawkins recently responded to the report and said Davis would return to Dallas to finish his rehab and that he would be reevaluated over the NBA All-Star break.

Davis' original timeline for a return was four-to-six weeks; Dawkins, though, put it closer to 10.

The Wizards, similar to Utah, have also cycled through young lineups, particularly when facing some of the NBA's weaker teams.

And also like Utah, Washington's 2026 first-round pick is top-eight protected.

The Indiana Pacers (13-40) traded for Ivica Zubac, who was away from the Clippers, his former team, for the birth of his first child. Zubac had played in the previous nine games before the trade. Yet, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Zubac's debut with Indiana would be delayed because of a sprained ankle that hadn't been listed on prior injury reports.

Indiana's 2026 first-round pick? If you guessed that it was protected, you would be correct, for Nos. 1-4 and 10-30.

The young Brooklyn Nets (15-37) waived Cam Thomas after they couldn't find a trade partner. They, too, appear to be in tank mode.

The Milwaukee Bucks (21-30) might convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to take his time from his calf strain to preserve their draft positioning.

Same for the Dallas Mavericks (19-33) with Kyrie Irving and his torn anterior cruciate ligament.

The Sacramento Kings (12-43) are simply without direction.

The tanking feels like it will get worse. And while the temptation might be to say it's harmless jockeying, the flip side is that it impacts seeding for the teams actually competing and vying for spots in the playoffs.

In some ways, the timing of the All-Star break is convenient; it provides a respite for Silver and league executives to brainstorm ways to eradicate this from the league.

If they don't come out strong with precise and targeted measures, then why even play the games? And, if you're a fan, why even watch?

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The NBA's tanking crisis is Adam Silver's biggest test yet

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The NBA's tanking crisis — and why Adam Silver can’t ignore it

The NBA's tanking crisis — and why Adam Silver can't ignore it Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAYFebruary 10, 2026 at 8:2...

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St. John’s grinds out OT win over Xavier to push win streak to 10 for historic Rick Pitino victory

St. John's grinds out OT win over Xavier to push win streak to 10 for historic Rick Pitino victory Zach BrazillerFebruary 10, 2026 at 7:47 AM 0 An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows St. John's Red Storm player Bryce Hopkins 23 slams the ball into the hoop, Image 2 shows St. John's Red Storm coach Rick Pitino reacts on the baseline during a game against the Xavier Musketeers It was tense. Access the St. John's beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriberonly features, including realtime texting with Zach Braziller about the inside buzz on St. John's.

- - St. John's grinds out OT win over Xavier to push win streak to 10 for historic Rick Pitino victory

Zach BrazillerFebruary 10, 2026 at 7:47 AM

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An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows St. John's Red Storm player Bryce Hopkins #23 slams the ball into the hoop, Image 2 shows St. John's Red Storm coach Rick Pitino reacts on the baseline during a game against the Xavier Musketeers

It was tense.

Access the St. John's beat like never before

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Zach Braziller about the inside buzz on St. John's.

It was close.

It could've gone either way.

The second matchup between the Pitinos was much like the first one — a narrow St. John's victory that could have easily been won by Xavier.

Ultimately, the 17th-ranked Johnnies made enough plays Monday to survive, three days after their rousing victory over Connecticut.

"We were ready to play, but [Xavier] was terrific, and they were terrific at Xavier. Certain teams cause matchup problems for you, and this team does for us," coach Rick Pitino said after the Red Storm's grind-it-out, 87-82 overtime victory in front of 14,512 at the Garden. "But we came away twice in the latter stages of the games with a victory. I think that's a great thing for our team. I hope we don't play them in the Big East Tournament."

Bryce Hopkins of the St. John's Red Storm slams the ball during the first half against Xavier. Robert Sabo for NY Post

Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins came up big in overtime, after Oziyah Sellers shook off a poor shooting night by tipping in his own miss late in the regulation to force the extra session.

In those final five minutes, Ejiofor scored six of his game-high 25 points, Hopkins came up with two key steals and St. John's (19-5, 12-1) defense made critical stops and held Xavier (12-12, 4-9) star Tre Carroll without a field-goal attempt.

"That's what we said, he's not going to touch it, we're going to make their guards handle the basketball and take shots," Pitino said.

The elder Pitino improved to 5-1 against his son, Richard, and moved into third place on his own on the all-time wins list, surpassing Roy Williams.

It marked St. John's 10th consecutive win and moved them into a flat-footed tie atop the Big East with sixth-ranked UConn.

But the Hall of Fame coach wasn't thrilled with the performance.

Rick Pitino reacts from the sideline during the St. John's win against Xavier on Feb. 9. Robert Sabo for the NY Post

"Because I was not pleased with our defense tonight, I'm not really happy about 904. If we played better defense, I'd be much happier," he said. "Happy with the victory, but more proud of my son. In the two times we played them, he did things to really hurt our defense, did things to really hurt our press."

Xavier had St. John's on skates defensively for large portions of the evening.

They led by five deep into the second half, and were a defensive rebound away in the final seconds from pulling off the upset as a 16.5-point underdog.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST BIG EAST STANDINGS AND ST. JOHN'S STATS

But Hopkins got two key offensive rebounds with St. John's down two, Sellers got to his own miss to pull the Johnnies even and Carroll slipped and his heave at the horn wasn't close.

In overtime, Hopkins was terrific on the defensive end.

"When the game was on the line, really Bryce Hopkins won the game," Pitino said. "He made big plays for us on the defensive end, and he was outstanding in the final seven, eight minutes of the game."

Ejiofor had seven rebounds and five assists to go with his 25 points, Hopkins added 19 points and nine rebounds and Dylan Darling had 16 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench.

Carroll scored 21 for Xavier and Jovan Milicevic tallied 13.

Predictably, the atmosphere three days after the rousing Connecticut win was not nearly the same.

The crowd, decent in size, was quiet and the team wasn't sharp.

"It might've looked like we came out lacking a little bit of energy. But it wasn't like we were taking Xavier lightly," Darling said. "They took us down to the buzzer at their place, and we just went to OT with them tonight. We weren't taking them lightly. … We struggled, and we struggled guarding them."

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Published: February 10, 2026 at 07:27PM on Source: MARIO MAG

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byMario Satorik

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February 10, 2026

St. John’s grinds out OT win over Xavier to push win streak to 10 for historic Rick Pitino victory

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What's the weather forecast for Sunday's Daytona 500?

USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. What's the weather forecast for Sunday's Daytona 500? Steve Gardner, USA TODAYFebruary 10, 2026 at 2:37 PM 0 The 2026 NASCAR season is set to begin this week with Speedweek activities at Daytona International Speedway. We can only hope Mother Nature is an auto racing fan. As is always the case this time of year in Florida, rain could factor into the festivities.

USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change.

What's the weather forecast for Sunday's Daytona 500?

Steve Gardner, USA TODAYFebruary 10, 2026 at 2:37 PM

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The 2026 NASCAR season is set to begin this week with Speedweek activities at Daytona International Speedway. We can only hope Mother Nature is an auto racing fan.

As is always the case this time of year in Florida, rain could factor into the festivities.

According to AccuWeather, the forecast looks pretty good overall for the early-week schedule, but things could get complicated by Sunday, Feb. 15, for the Daytona 500. Of course, things can and will change before the green flag is set to drop shortly after 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Here's the latest forecast for Daytona for the rest of this week:

Daytona 500 weather forecast

Here's the latest AccuWeather forecast for Daytona Beach, Florida:

Wednesday, Feb. 11: Comfortable with times of clouds and sun. A high temperature of 73 degrees and a low of 58. Chance of precipitation: 0%.

Thursday, Feb. 12: Partly sunny. A high temperature of 67 degrees and a low of 54. Chance of precipitation: 10%.

Friday, Feb. 13: Partly sunny and comfortable. A high temperature of 70 degrees and a low of 55. Chance of precipitation: 16%.

Saturday, Feb. 14: Increasing cloudiness. A high temperature of 70 degrees and a low of 60. Chance of precipitation: 7%.

Sunday, Feb. 15: Mostly cloudy with a thunderstorm possible in the afternoon. A high temperature of 76 degrees and a low of 57. Chance of precipitation: 30%

Monday, Feb. 16: Plenty of sunshine. A high temperature of 71 degrees and a low of 52. Chance of precipitation: 25%.

When is the 2026 Daytona 500? -

Date: Sunday, Feb. 15

Start time: 2:30 p.m. ET

Location: Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, Florida)

TV: Fox

Streaming: Fubo (free trial), Sling

Defending champion: William Byron

Under cloudy skies, the grandstands are quiet during practice for the 2025 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.Daytona 500, Speedweek schedule

There's more than just the 500 going on at Daytona. Here's a look at the Speedweek race schedule and how to watch. All times Eastern.

Wednesday, Feb. 11: Daytona 500 qualifying | 8:15 p.m. | FS1

Thursday, Feb. 12: America 250 Florida Duel at Daytona | 7 and 8:45 p.m. | FS1

Friday, Feb. 13: Craftsman Truck Series qualifying | 3 p.m. | FS1

Friday, Feb. 13: Fresh from Florida 250 (Truck Series) | 7:30 p.m. | FS1

Saturday, Feb. 14: O'Reilly Auto Parts Series qualifying | 10 a.m. | CW

Saturday, Feb. 14: Daytona ARCA 200 (ARCA Menards Series) | Noon | Fox

Saturday, Feb. 14: United Rentals 300 (O'Reilly Auto Parts Series) | 5 p.m. | CW

Sunday, Feb. 15: Daytona 500 | 2:30 p.m. | Fox

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Daytona 500 weather forecast could be problematic on Sunday

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Sports"

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---

Source: Sports

Published: February 10, 2026 at 07:27PM on Source: MARIO MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byMario Satorik

in

February 10, 2026

What's the weather forecast for Sunday's Daytona 500?

USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. What's th...

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