A long shot comes in as Las Vegas to host Final Four

The NCAA announced Tuesday its marquee event will be staged at Allegiant Stadium in 2028

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1. A long shot comes in as Las Vegas to finally host Final Four

The NCAA announced Tuesday its marquee event will be staged at Allegiant Stadium in 2028. The Sporting Tribune’s Steve Carp has covered sports in Las Vegas for over 30 years, going back to Jerry Tarkanian’s days with UNLV, and puts into context what it means for the Final Four to finally be held in Las Vegas, a city that was not eligible to host NCAA championship events because of legalized sports wagering until recently.  

The news was expected, but nonetheless still stunning. Las Vegas will be hosting the Final Four of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament in 2028. Let that sink in for a moment. Especially for those who are longtime residents of the city and have been supporters of UNLV.

2. SoFi Stadium not in the running to host Final Four

When Los Angeles and Las Vegas opened two covered multi-billion-dollar stadiums in 2020 both SoFi Stadium and Allegiant Stadium were considered favorites to host the NCAA Men’s Final Four at some point over the next decade but Los Angeles was not mentioned as the NCAA announced Final Four sites through 2030. It likely won’t ever be. The Sporting Tribune’s Arash Markazi has more on why SoFi Stadium is not being considered as a host site for the Final Four meaning California, which last hosted the event in 1975, may never host it again.

There are two big reasons SoFi Stadium is not in the running to host the Final Four. The first is the potential glare on the court from the stadium’s translucent canopy roof and what it would cost to potentially mitigate that and the second is the not so small detail of SoFi Stadium technically being an outdoor stadium. Remember when the Chargers-Raiders game last season had a brief weather delay? SoFi Stadium is the NFL’s first indoor-outdoor venue with the stadium bowl sitting under a canopy. It’s more of an awning than a fixed roof so you can still feel the wind and rain depending on where you’re sitting or standing. It’s not likely the NCAA would stage a championship basketball game in that setting.

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3. USC vs Notre Dame: What Do the Stats Say?

USC vs. Notre Dame is one of the greatest rivalries in college football, and simply put, this Saturday may be the most significant game between the two in decades. The Sporting Tribune’s Benjamin Harris-Myers take a look at the numbers to preview Saturday’s big game.

USC’s high flying, pass oriented offense has been a struggle for opposing defenses all year, and I think the Irish will face a similar challenge. Ranking 27th in the country in passing yards allowed, 22nd in passing yards per attempt allowed, and 28th in yards per completion allowed, Notre Dame’s pass defense is a very middling group. Additionally, throughout the season, that same defense has gotten worse whenever they played top tier quarterbacks.

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4. Another great Davis game not enough as Suns beat Lakers

The Lakers had a chance to extend their win streak to four but the Phoenix Suns held serve at home with a 115-110 victory. Anthony Davis had his fourth straight impressive stat line, becoming the first player in league history to put up 37 points, 21 rebounds, 5 blocks and 5 steals. The Sporting Tribune’s Rey Moralde has more.

It was Davis’ fourth straight game with 30+ points and 15+ rebounds. He is having an unbelievable stretch. And if there's any doubt on how good he still is, well, this should quiet the critics. In the last four games, Davis has averaged 35.5 points and 18.3 rebounds while shooting .623 from the field. Ridiculous.

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5. Chris Kreider’s two late tallies lead Rangers past Kings

Chris Kreider scored two third-period goals for the visiting New York Rangers in a 5-3 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night. The Sporting Tribune has more from Crypto.com Arena.

Braden Schneider, Vincent Trocheck and Kaapo Kakko scored three unanswered goals in the second period, and Igor Shesterkin made 35 saves for the Rangers, who have won two in a row for the first time this month. Kevin Fiala had a goal and two assists, Gabriel Vilardi and Sean Walker also scored and Cal Petersen made 20 saves for the Kings, who have lost three straight games for the first time this season.

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6. Rams part ways with leading rusher Darrell Henderson Jr.

The Los Angeles Rams waived fourth-year running back Darrell Henderson Jr. on Tuesday. Henderson was the Rams’ leading rusher with a modest 283 yards. The Sporting Tribune has the latest on the surprising in-season divorce.

The Rams rank 31st in the NFL in rushing offense at 76.1 yards per game. Henderson received four snaps in Sunday’s 27-20 road loss to the New Orleans Saints. He rushed twice for 9 yards. Cam Akers rushed 14 times for 61 yards and Kyren Williams received seven carries for 36 yards. Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday that Henderson had a knee issue during pregame drills. “He felt a little something in his knee and that was kind of what led to Cam and Kyren getting the majority of the work,” McVay said of Henderson. “But he said he felt fine (Monday).”

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7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports

Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:

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8. Ticket Time presented by TickPick  

Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game today:

New York Rangers at Anaheim Ducks: $36

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9. On the Air presented by Pirnia Law

Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region:

7:00 p.m. – LA Clippers at Golden State Warriors – ESPN

7:00 p.m. – New York Rangers at Anaheim Ducks – Bally Sports SoCal

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10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune 

On Tuesday’s show, the crew welcomed back The Sporting Tribune’s Jake Dicker from Wisconsin and talked to Dave Smith about the World Cup and the Lakers’ three-game winning streak.  

Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Fan in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.

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That’s it for today. Have an amazing Thanksgiving! Talk to you all on Monday!