SEC POY Mikayla Blakes on Vandy’s rise + which team needs a conferenc… — and more

Hoops 360 hosts Caroline Fenton and Cassandra Negley break down the Power Four conference tournaments with March implications on the line. Is the SEC title South Carolina’s to lose? Can Duke’s offense deliver? Is anyone built to challenge UCLA? And how will the Big 12 shake out?

Plus, Vanderbilt star and SEC Player of the Year Mikayla Blakes joins the show to talk leadership, confidence, and how Vanderbilt surged into national title contention.

Got a question or topic you want covered? Drop it in the comments — we might feature it in a future episode.

01:38 - SEC Conference Tournament Preview: Can South Carolina win its 4th consecutive conference championship?

05:58 - Who could knock off South Carolina?

08:48 - Will Vanderbilt or Texas take the final No. 1 seed?

10:22 - Which team needs to make a run the most to bolster resume?

13:43 - SEC Player of the Year Mikayla Blakes joins Hoops 360!

25:34 - ACC Conference Tournament Preview: What must Duke do to give you confidence in them?

28:51 - If not Duke, then who?

31:05 - Big Ten Conference Tournament Preview: Can anyone compete with UCLA?

35:47 - Big 12 Conference Tournament Preview: Who is the most in need of a resume boost?

39:05 - Additional conference tournaments to watch: Big East, Ivy League, Summit League, A10

45:03 - Which conference tournament is most intriguing?

50:11 - Upcoming games to watch

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Melker Ellborg: 8/10

A couple of nervy moments with his kicking early on but then settled down and looked very comfortable. Wasn’t troubled from set pieces, made some good punches out and made some decent saves, one from a free kick and then a near post effort with his arm late on.

Luke O’Nien (C): 8/10

Had a little trouble early on, but with the help of Angulo, saw out the danger and grew into the game. Often used his strength and reading of the game to see the ball out of the play when Leeds threatened down that side.

Dan Ballard: 9/10

Was so good in the air all night, throwing himself at so many crosses and comfortably coming out on top in the battle with Calvert Lewin.

Omar Alderete: 8/10

Like his centre half partner, he was a wall at the back. Constantly in the way at set pieces and cross. Some dodgy moments when he got himself out position or turned into trouble but still a colossal effort.

Trai Hume: 9/10

Hume was so good defensively tonight, not giving Leeds any room to manoeuvre down his side of the pitch. Quick to close down and put a tackle in.

Lutsharel Geertruida: 6/10

Protected the defence well enough in the middle of the pitch but didn’t have much influence on the game, steady on the ball at least.

Noah Sadiki: 7/10

Got around the pitch as usual but was a little subdued on the ball, plenty of effort though. Got a bit lucky when he gave the ball away cheaply near our own corner flag in the first half.

Habib Diarra: 7/10

Like Sadiki, he struggled to impose himself on the ball but was always closing down at pace when Leeds had possession. Stepped up when it mattered to convert the penalty.

Enzo Le Fee: 7/10

Worked so hard off the ball to help out Hume and the midfielders, .

Nilson Angulo: 8/10

He was positive on the ball all night, looking dangerous whenever he had it, but put in a great effort defensively to help out O’Nien. Constantly tracking back and using his pace to nullify Gudmunsson.

Eliezer Mayenda: 5/10

Barely involved tonight, was offside too often and his only real opportunity was barely a half chance following Ballard’s header from a set piece.

Substitutes

Granit Xhaka: 7/10

Helped us over the line with his clever first time passing and getting into the right position to block a pass.

Wilson Isidor: 6/10

Had a part in winning the penalty when his effort was eventually handled by Ampadu.

Bertrand Traore: N/A

Only had a couple of minutes on the pitch, gave the ball away cheaply but then did great to recover and prevent a counter attack, seemingly injured himself as a result.

Chris Rigg: 6/10

A late change for Traore, helped us see out of the game.

Man of the Match: Dan Ballard

Lots of really good defensive performances tonight and a great clean sheet for Ellborg on his debut, my man of the match was Dan Ballard though who showed how well deserved the new contract was. An absolute brick wall at the back, got the better of Calvert Lewin time and time again and was dominant in the air from start to finish.

Yankees' Aaron Judge likes what he sees from Spencer Jones after swing adjustment originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New York Yankees have a very crowded outfield after their offseason moves. Aaron Judge is locked into a starting spot, while Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham both returned this offseason.

But behind them are Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones, two young sluggers who realistically could've been starters this year for the Yankees. Instead, they're backups.

Jones might not stay a backup for long, however.

As Brendan Kuty of The Athletic shared, Jones has made a major change to his swing, keeping his front foot down on the ground for longer to generate better contact. It's working, and Judge, the future Hall of Fame outfielder, is liking what he's seeing.

Aaron Judge likes Spencer Jones' swing adjustment

"I think the biggest thing that I've noticed swing-wise is he's just ready to hit," Judge said. "The minute he puts that foot down with the little toe-tap, he's ready to hit."

Before, Jones had his front foot in the air, resulting in more inconsistent contact. But now, he's trying to mirror Shohei Ohtani and keep his front foot down as much as possible.

Jones, at 6-foot-7, needs to swing a bit differently than other players. He's copying Ohtani, and through 10 at-bats so far, it's working. He had three hits, all home runs.

While he can have some decent production at the plate, hearing that Judge, someone who knows a thing or two about hitting, likes the adjustment Jones has made is a sign that the young Yankees outfielder is making the right changes.

MORE: Yankees' Jazz Chisholm reveals his 9-figure contract asking price

"He doesn't have a big leg kick; he doesn't have to worry about getting that down," Judge said. "That quickness, that readiness is really going to be a game-changer for him."

The comments from Judge on Jones' new swing is a great sign for the young outfielder. Hearing this praise, the change that Jones made over the offseason isn't just an abstract thing; it's something his superstar teammate believes can be a "game-changer" for him.

While Jones might not break spring training with the Major League ball club, if he can continue to use this new swing adjustment in the minors and hit well, he could be up with the Yankees early in the 2026 season.

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