Arizona
What Arizona Cardinals’ Budda Baker said about his future with team
Budda Baker hopes to remain with the Arizona Cardinals in the future
Budda Baker, a five-time Pro Bowler, wants to win as an Arizona Cardinal, and said being in the last year of his contract will take care of itself.
Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker on Monday said he hopes to remain with the team in the future as he heads into the final year of his current contract.
He said he will let his agent handle whatever happens with another contract, and will focus on playing good football above everything else. Baker, drafted by the Cardinals in the second round in 2017, signed a four-year extension worth $59 million before the 2020 season, the salary which took effect in 2021.
“Of course, me being here seven years, going into year eight, of course you would love to be in the football team you got drafted to,” Baker said. “I know it’s not the same GM or it’s not the same head coach, but I understand if I can continue to do my job at a high level — this is our fourth coaching staff and I’m still on the team — so it shows what type of character that I have, what type of work ethic I put onto the field. No matter who’s there, who’s coaching, I’m gonna do my job and I’m gonna be that person that other guys can look onto and ask questions to and all that other stuff as well.
“Of course I want to be a Cardinal. But at the end of the day I understand it’s a business … every year changes,” Baker added. “Most importantly, the name of the game is to win. We haven’t really done that much. I really want to win. I really want these fans to be happy and excited and come to the games and have those packed-out houses.”
Baker, 28, is a five-time Pro Bowler who played in a career low 12 games last season. He said he tore a hamstring in practice before the Week 2 game of last season and wound up missing five games before making it through the rest of the season after his return.
Baker said he played last season at about “85 or 90” percent.
“He’s another coach on the field, and in the meeting rooms,” Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said of Baker. “The most value that I see with Budda is … his perspective of ‘Hey, here’s how this has to fit with all five of us or six of us out there. This is what you need to be thinking because this is what this guy is doing. Here’s what I’m doing, here’s what I’m thinking.’”
Arizona
SB Nation Reacts: Arizona men’s basketball fans expecting deep NCAA Tournament run

Arizona
Will Arizona center Motiejus Krivas be picked in NBA Draft?
Tommy Lloyd, Koa Peat, Brayden Burries dissect UA’s Big 12 tourney run
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd, forward Koa Peat and guard Brayden Burries break down their Big 12 tournament win over Houston.
SAN DIEGO — At 7-foot-2, Arizona center Motiejus Krivas is one of the nation’s premier defensive centers. The junior out of Lithuania is a key part of the reason that Arizona forces its opponents to shoot their 2-pointers an average of 7.0 feet from the rim — the 11th highest mark in Division I. But for his NBA Draft stock, the question will be how valuable that skill set is in the modern NBA, given Krivas’ limited impact further from the basket. Here is where he ranks on a handful of notable big boards.
- Tankathon: 51
- The Athletic: 73
- ESPN: 27
- CBS: 30
This season, Krivas is Arizona’s fourth leading scorer, averaging 10.5 points per game on 58.2% shooting. He’s taken just 12 threes on the season, although he has made four of them. As for his impact elsewhere, he’s averaging 8.1 rebounds and an impressive 1.8 blocks per game. His profile is rounded out by 1.0 assists and 0.7 steals per contest.
Arizona
Arizona State vs Virginia predictions, picks, odds for NCAA Tournament First Four
The First Four of the women’s 2026 NCAA Tournament continues Thursday with a slate featuring No. 10 Arizona State vs. No. 10 Virginia on the two-game schedule.
Here is the latest on Thursday’s March Madness matchup, including expert picks from reporters across the USA TODAY Sports Network.
USA TODAY Sports has a team of journalists covering the women’s NCAA Tournament to keep you up to date with every point scored, rebound grabbed and game won in the 68-team tournament.
USA TODAY Studio IX: Check out our women’s sports hub for in-depth analysis, commentary and more
Join the USA TODAY $1 million Bracket Challenge
No. 10 Arizona State vs No. 10 Virginia prediction
- Mitchell Northam: Arizona State
- Meghan Hall: Virginia
- Cydney Henderson: Arizona State
- Heather Burns: Virginia
- Nancy Armour: Virginia
No. 10 Arizona State vs No. 10 Virginia odds
- Opening Moneyline: Virginia (-150)
- Opening Spread: Virginia (-2.5)
- Opening Total: 126.5
How to Watch Arizona State vs Virginia on Thursday
No. 10 Arizona State takes on No. 10 Virginia at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on March 19 at 9:00 PM. The game is airing on ESPN2.
Stream March Madness on Fubo
2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament full schedule
- March 18-19: First Four
- March 20-21: First Round
- March 22-23: Second Round
- March 27-28: Sweet 16
- March 29-30: Elite 8
- April 3: Final Four
- April 5: National Championship
-
Detroit, MI2 days agoDrummer Brian Pastoria, longtime Detroit music advocate, dies at 68
-
Oklahoma6 days agoFamily rallies around Oklahoma father after head-on crash
-
Nebraska1 week agoWildfire forces immediate evacuation order for Farnam residents
-
Georgia5 days agoHow ICE plans for a detention warehouse pushed a Georgia town to fight back | CNN Politics
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMassachusetts community colleges to launch apprenticeship degree programs – The Boston Globe
-
Alaska5 days agoPolice looking for man considered ‘armed and dangerous’
-
Colorado1 week ago‘It’s Not a Penalty’: Bednar Rips Officials For MacKinnon Ejection | Colorado Hockey Now
-
Southwest1 week agoTalarico reportedly knew Colbert interview wouldn’t air on TV before he left to film it