Sports
Cooper Flagg, Duke searching for answers after fateful Final Four collapse

SAN ANTONIO — From their seats seven rows behind Duke’s bench, Ralph and Kelly Flagg had the perfect vantage point of the moment everything turned to dust.
With eight seconds left in Saturday’s national semifinal against No. 1 Houston, their son Cooper rose up for the turnaround jumper that legacies are made of. Sink it, and Duke’s in the national championship game for the first time in a decade. But miss it?
Everything, over. Immediately.
Which is why, as one of the best freshmen to play college basketball lifted off from just inside the left elbow, 68,252 sets of eyes inside the Alamodome — and millions more at home — tracked the path of a parabola that would decide Duke’s fate.
Clank.
Short, off the front iron. Houston rebound.
Ballgame.
Kelly, heart-shaped blue sunglasses atop her head, leaned her head onto Ralph’s shoulder to her right. A gentle thud, with the weight of a tank.
Three seconds later, Houston’s 70-67 stunner over Duke, one of the most catastrophic collapses in NCAA Tournament history, was complete. Cooper Flagg untucked his Blue Devils jersey and lifted his white undershirt up to his chin, grasping for something while everything else slipped out of his reach. His top-seeded Blue Devils led for nearly the entire game, including by nine points with 2:06 left. Even a six-point cushion with 34 seconds left was not enough for the top-ranked Blue Devils and their starting five full of future NBA studs to hold off the relentless Coogs.
While Houston’s comeback for the ages — the fifth-largest in Final Four history — will be told and retold for generations, so too will Duke’s complete disintegration. Over the past 18 months, Duke coach Jon Scheyer orchestrated this entire roster around Flagg and his national player of the year talents, surrounding the 18-year-old phenom with the ideal blend of fellow first-year stars and veteran role players. He hired a mental skills coach to teach his team emotional toughness, scheduled a vicious nonconference schedule to test the Blue Devils’ mettle, pushed every last one of his chips into the center for this player and this team — and then, poof.
The opportunity of a lifetime, evaporating via a 9-0 Houston run in the final 33 seconds of the Final Four. Scheyer, and Duke, will never shake the sting of what transpired on Saturday night in San Antonio.
“You’re an inch away from the national championship game,” Scheyer said after. “You go from some of the most special moments in the tournament to the most heartbreaking loss. … There’s a lot of pain that comes with this.”
Between this team and the 1999 iteration of the Blue Devils, neither of the two best squads in the history of KenPom’s 29-year database wound up winning it all.
Now, Duke still won the ACC regular-season and tournament titles and will hang an 18th Final Four banner in Cameron Indoor Stadium. But Monday night in San Antonio was the goal. How did this happen?
The play-by-play reads more graphic than some of Stephen King’s horror novels. The unraveling began with just over two minutes to play, after a Flagg 3-pointer and subsequent volleyball spike of a block gave Duke a nine-point lead and all the momentum. At that point, Kelly climbed onto her seat to see above the crowd around her, and started high-fiving anyone in arm’s reach. But then Houston guard Emanuel Sharp hit a contested layup, and on the other end, Tyrese Proctor had the ball poked away by Houston big JoJo Tugler. Sion James, Proctor’s backcourt mate, immediately walked over and told Proctor to “get over it” — but the avalanche, it turned out, was already underway.
The teams traded baskets thereafter, Flagg’s perfect free-throw shooting — he was eight-for-eight from the line — dueling against Sharp’s marksmanship. After Tugler earned an administrative technical foul with 1:14 to play, for slapping the ball out of James’ hands before the Duke guard inbounded it, Kon Knueppel sank a free throw that pushed the Blue Devils’ lead back to six. Cooper’s older brother, Hunter, gnawed at his nail once Knueppel’s shot fell good. And in the stands behind Duke’s bench, most everyone else — Kelly and Ralph; Scheyer’s wife, Marcelle; his parents, Jim and Laury; even Mike Krzyzewski, attending his first NCAA Tournament game since the loss that sent him into retirement, Duke’s last Final Four defeat in 2022 — did the same motion, over and over and over again: tilting their heads up at the small scoreboards underneath the Alamodome jumbotron, wishing time would speed up.
But if anything, it ground to a frame-by-frame halt.
Tugler blocking Knueppel’s layup attempt.
Another 3 from Sharp.
Three Houston defenders tipping and intercepting James’ ill-timed inbounds pass to Flagg, which turned into a Tugler follow-up dunk.
Proctor missing the front end of a one-and-one.
Flagg being called for a controversial over-the-back foul — his only one all game — on the ensuing rebound.
J’Wan Roberts sinking two free throws with 19.1 seconds left that, finally, pried the lead away from Duke and put Houston up one.
And finally, Flagg missing his would-be game-winner.
Everything that could possibly go wrong, all at once in a flood.
“A shot I’m willing to live with,” a teary-eyed Flagg said from a postgame dais. “Thought I got my feet set. Rose up. Left it short, obviously.”
Scheyer calling Flagg’s number with the game on the line was obviously no surprise. Not only is Flagg his clear top talent, but just look to the past. In each of Duke’s first three losses this season — against Kentucky, Kansas and Clemson — Scheyer pulled out the same end-of-game strategy: Give Flagg the rock, then get out of his way. So what if Flagg hadn’t delivered in those previous three instances? Your best player is your best player.
“Just be Cooper,” James said of Duke’s final play design. “We trust him, and that’s 100 times out of 100.”
In that final timeout, Scheyer looked his team in the eyes and delivered what would prove to be his final in-game message all season: “Right f—ing now, go take it. Are you ready?”
Fairly or not, Flagg’s miss will now forever be part of his legacy. Not one that outshines any of his astounding accomplishments, but also not something that can be ignored. His final college stat line of 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals speaks for itself. He became the first player since steals and blocks became a measured statistic in 1986 to lead or co-lead his team in every major statistic in a Final Four game. And there were ample other plays in that calamitous final two minutes that, if you reverse them, yield a different outcome entirely.
But Duke’s last chance to advance to the national championship game was quite literally in the teenager’s hands — and he came up about three inches short.
After Flagg trotted off the Alamodome court, while Houston danced on it behind him, the grief set in. Ralph hunched over, rubbing the nape of his neck. Kelly could only stare straight ahead, blank-faced, lips pursed. Slowly, one by one, the other Duke dignitaries and parents around them made their exits — but the Flaggs sat in the sadness. The arena PA system only twisted the knife, playing the American Authors song “Best Day of My Life”: This is gonna be the best day of my li-iiiife …
“It just don’t feel good, bruh,” said sophomore guard Caleb Foster. “That’s all I can tell you.”
At 11:12 p.m. local time, after a small army of reporters and camera people assembled the length of the black-carpeted hallway outside Duke’s locker room, Scheyer finally emerged from behind hulking metal doors. He posted up for two obligatory TV interviews just steps away from massive gold lettering affixed to the hall’s concrete walls: THE ROAD ENDS HERE. “We were this close,” he told CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson, holding his fingers up an inch apart. He took the blame, saying he hadn’t put his young players in the positions they needed to be down the stretch.
That’s part of it. But he wasn’t why Duke made one shot over the final 9:16, or why Houston outscored the Blue Devils 25-8 after they took a 14-point edge with 8:17 to play.
Inside Duke’s funereal locker room, players coped in their own ways. Proctor leaned backward with a towel on his head. He’d gone 0-for-9 in Duke’s season-ending Elite Eight loss a year ago, a pivotal reason why he stayed for this season. “I love these guys,” he choked out. “It just sucks that we came up short.”
Stanley Borden and Patrick Ngongba II come to grips with Duke’s season ending. (Lance King / Getty Images)
Walk-on Stanley Borden sat quietly, journaling in a small paper notebook with a purple mechanical pencil. Borden was a statistics peer tutor last semester, and Duke’s academic resource center gave him some thin brown notebooks. Ever since, he’s taken up journaling, his stream of consciousness writings providing clarity.
“There’s a thought when you have a loss like this, like, what was it all for?” Borden said. “Obviously, a lot of the sacrifices (we make are) to win a national championship — or at least go to the title game, because nothing’s guaranteed. So there was this kind of despair of, well then, what was it all for, if we’re not? And if we didn’t? Which, it’s still hard to believe.”
Even in a room five-deep with media members, the propane burners keeping Duke’s NCAA-provided barbecue trays warm at the back of the room could be heard. Players slowly migrated into the separate coach’s locker room.
Noticeably absent were Duke’s three star-studded freshman: Flagg and Knueppel — who combined for 43 of Duke’s 67 points, and who were elsewhere in the Alamodome conducting their final collegiate news conference — as well as 7-foot-2 center Khaman Maluach. He somehow finished with no rebounds in 21 minutes, the only game all season that the projected lottery pick didn’t gobble up a single board, another stunner on a night stockpiled with them.
By the time Flagg and Knueppel rolled up on a golf cart six minutes shy of midnight, most everyone had scattered. Towel around his neck, Flagg thanked his ride before disappearing into the locker room again, this time for good. What he said or did, we’ll never know. But at some point, he’ll again glance at the P.F. Chang’s fortune cookie message he’d slid inside the back of his clear phone case:
Many successes are coming your way
Undoubtedly.
Just not on Monday.
Not the one Flagg, and Duke, did everything in pursuit of.
(Photo of Cooper Flagg: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)

Sports
PGA Tour golfer Wyndham Clark banned from Oakmont Country Club after US Open meltdown

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Oakmont Country Club confirmed numerous reports on Wednesday that Wyndham Clark has been banned from the golf course property.
After missing the cut at last month’s U.S. Open, a tournament he won two years ago at Los Angeles Country Club, Clark took his anger out on lockers at the prestigious club.
One alleged photo of the damage made its way around social media, as two bottom portions of lockers were completely caved in.
Wyndham Clark of the United States plays his shot from the fourth tee during a practice round prior to the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Warren Little/Getty Images)
“Several of you have inquired about the situation involving Wyndham Clark and the steps being taken in response to his recent behavior,” Oakmont Country Club President John Lynch wrote in the letter, via ESPN. “Following multiple discussions with the USGA and the OCC Board, a decision has been made that Mr. Clark will no longer be permitted on OCC property.
“This decision will remain in effect unless formally reconsidered and approved by the Board.”
Lynch added that the ban could be lifted if Clark paid for the damages, made a “meaningful contribution” to charity and underwent counseling.

Wyndham Clark lines up a putt on the 11th green during the first round of the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament. (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)
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“Yeah, I mean, I’ve had a lot of highs and lows in my career, especially this year some lows. I made a mistake that I deeply regret. I’m very sorry for what happened,” Clark said the following week. “But I’d also like to move on, not only for myself but for Oakmont, for the USGA, and kind of focus on the rest of the year and things that come up.”
During the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club last month, Clark damaged a T-Mobile sign during his final round with his driver. He ended up apologizing for his actions.
Clark was hardly the only golfer to show frustration with Oakmont – Shane Lowry outwardly proclaimed, “f— this place” after missing a putt.

Wyndham Clark looks on before teeing off on the 14th hole during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 18, 2025. (Aaron Doster-Imagn Images)
During his first round, after failing to get the golf ball out of the rough, the Irish golfer ended up taking out his frustrations on a microphone. The piece of audio equipment fell to the ground after Lowry knocked it down.
Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
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Sports
Shaikin: How to revitalize baseball's All-Star Game? Bat flips
ATLANTA — We need bat flips.
The home run swing-off to end Tuesday’s All-Star Game was great. Whether you embrace it as a revelation or dismiss it as a gimmick, baseball needs more of that kind of imagination on the national stage. On the morning after the game, it’s what you’re talking about.
But baseball cannot count on a tie score every summer.
The All-Star Game cannot live off old glories. The All-Star Game cannot thrive simply because the NFL turned the Pro Bowl into a flag football game and skills competition while the NBA turned its All-Star Game into a week of parties and 48 minutes of a defense-free scrimmages.
Baseball can say its All-Star Game is the best, but the bar is as low as the final round of a limbo competition. Baseball needs the best players, not the best available players, in the game. And, in an era dominated by social media and short attention spans, baseball needs innovation in the Home Run Derby — not just in an All-Star Game tiebreaker, but in the actual Home Run Derby that is its own Major Television Event on the night before the game.
The first suggestion, from Brent Rooker, the Athletics’ All-Star designated hitter: “I had the idea that we would just stick PCA (the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong) and (the Athletics’) Denzel Clarke in the outfield during the Home Run Derby and just let them run down balls. That’s a fun idea that popped into our clubhouse a few weeks ago.”
An all-in-one Home Run Derby and skills competition of outfielders contorting their bodies in all directions to make highlight-worthy catches? That’s a cool thought.
Bat flips would be better.
The bat flip, once scorned as an instrument of disrespect, is now celebrated by the league itself. It naturally lends itself to the “Did you see it?” reels young fans share on Instagram and Snapchat.
The first round of Monday’s Home Run Derby was exhausting. It took nearly two hours, and what little flash there was felt forced. Besides, the sluggers you most wanted to see — Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge — declined to participate.
“I already did it,” Judge said Tuesday. “I don’t know what else you want from me. I think it’s time for somebody else to step up and do their thing and have fun with it. I love seeing new faces in the game go out and do their thing.”
Said Dodgers pitcher and Hall-of-Famer-in-waiting Clayton Kershaw: “It’s a lot of swings, man. It’s not easy to do. When I used to hit, I was tired after taking six swings. I can’t imagine doing that for three straight hours.
“If Shohei and Aaron Judge and those guys, if they had them all in there, it would be awesome. You can’t expect those guys to do it every single year.”
So keep the eight-man field but split it into two groups: four players in the traditional format, and four players in a one-round competition judged not only by how many home runs you hit but with how much flair you toss your bat after each one.
Dodgers veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw, tapping gloves with teammate Will Smith after pitching in the second inning during the All-Star Game.
(Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The creative and outrageous dunks in the NBA‘s slam dunk competition go viral. The All-Star bat flips would too.
“With respect to an event like the Home Run Derby, we should continue to innovate,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “It’s fundamentally an entertainment product.”
There’s an idea, Rob. Run with it.
“The game piece of it? Fundamentally, I believe in the game,” Manfred said. “I think what we have to do is continue to work with our very best players to make sure that they’re here and showcasing themselves in front of a fan base that is really, really important to us over the long haul.”
Right now, all the very best players are not here. When MLB announced the All-Star rosters, the league selected 65 players. By game time, with all the replacements for players that withdrew, the All-Star count was up to 81.
That meant that, for every four players announced as an All-Star, one chose not to play.
“Usually, when you think All-Star Game, you think probably the best at the time in the game right now are going to be playing,” Phillies All-Star designated hitter Kyle Schwarber said.
Sometimes they are: On Tuesday, Schwarber was the most valuable player, with the winning swings in the swing-off.
Schwarber and Kershaw noted that, for the most part, the position players are here, and the pitchers dominated the list of missing stars. Pitchers throw harder these days. They need time to recover. Tony Clark, the executive director of the players’ union, talked about the need for players to find “opportunities on the calendar to take a breather.”
And, frankly, the All-Star Game does not mean nearly as much to players as it did before interleague play started 28 years ago. Winning one for the National League used to actually mean something.
“The All-Star Game then and the All-Star Game now are two completely different things,” Clark said. “The requirements for players, the travel and logistics for their family and support, the day to day of a 162-game season is more complex and it’s more challenging than it’s ever been.”
Yet in 1980, when the All-Star Game was played at Dodger Stadium, players had one free day before resuming the schedule. Today, players have two days.
And, in 1980, fans got to see the players they wanted to see. Should each team have an All-Star representative? Yes. Should managers feel compelled to use every one of those players? No way.
On Tuesday, the National League used 13 pitchers and the American League 11.
In 1980, each league used five pitchers. Steve Stone and Bob Welch each pitched (gasp) three innings. The top four batters in the American League lineup — Willie Randolph, Fred Lynn, Rod Carew and Reggie Jackson — each batted at least three times.
Today’s pitchers are reluctant to work even one inning in the All-Star Game if they pitched on the final weekend of the first half. So move the All-Star Game back one day to Wednesday, and move the Home Run Derby back one day to Tuesday. No longer would players have to scramble for Sunday night private jets to get to the All-Star Game by Monday morning.
As a bonus, MLB could play the Futures Game on Monday, when no other games are being played, instead of in relative invisibility because the league insists on putting what it says is a showcase event up against a full schedule of regular-season games.
“It would be great,” Clark said, “to just have a conversation around the All-Star Game and talk about the All-Star Game and the great players that we have, doing so in a way that truly highlights the Midsummer Classic and truly puts players in a position where they are sprinting to come to the game.”
And flipping their bats when they get here.
Sports
Ex-MLB pitcher Dan Serafini found guilty of murdering father-in-law

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Dan Serafini, a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played in the big leagues from 1996 to 2007, was found guilty of murdering his father-in-law and attempting to kill his mother-in-law in 2021, California officials announced on Monday.
A Placer County jury also found Serafini, 51, guilty of first-degree burglary in addition to the first-degree murder and attempted murder of Gary Spohr and Wendy Wood, officials said.
Dan Serafini, #50 of the Cincinnati Reds, throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park on Sept. 11, 2003 in Cincinnati. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The incident occurred on June 5, 2021, as first responders arrived at a home in Tahoe City and found Spohr dead from a single gunshot wound and Wood wounded.
Wood recovered from the injuries but died by suicide a year later.
Video surveillance from the home showed a man wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, face covering and a backpack approaching the house hours before the murder occurred, according to FOX 2 San Francisco. Another video showed the same man walking up the driveway of the home.
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Dan Serafini, #29 of the Colorado Rockies, delivers the pitch during the game against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on Sept. 5, 2007 in Denver. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
Evidence from the two-year investigation pointed to Serafini and his romantic partner, Samantha Scott.
Prosecutors said they believed the murder occurred over a $1.3 million renovation project, according to Field Level Media. One text message provided as evidence, “I am going to kill them one day.”
Serafini is set for sentencing on Aug. 18 in Placer County.
The Minnesota Twins selected Serafini in the first round of the 1992 MLB Draft. He made his debut for them in 1996 and pitched three seasons before joining the Chicago Cubs in 1999.

Italy starting pitcher Dan Serafini, #29, delivers a pitch against Canada during first round pool play at the 2009 World Baseball Classic at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on March 9, 2009. (Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports)
He also played for the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies.
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