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How March Madness seeding mishap led Jerrod Calhoun to leave Utah State for Cincinnati appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

New Cincinnati head coach Jerrod Calhoun knows that mid-majors are becoming even more of an obscurity in the college basketball landscape, which had a lot to do with his leaving a successful Utah State program. Despite believing in the Aggies’ future, Calhoun admitted that his recent March Madness seeding played a big role in his decision to accept a new job.

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Calhoun called Utah State a “top-30 job in America,” but knows the March Madness Selection Committee does not view it the same way. The 44-year-old admitted he knew the writing was on the wall when it gave his team a nine-seed after running through the Mountain West.

“Utah State is a top-30 job in America, it truly is,” Calhoun said at his introductory press conference. “But I can tell you this — when we got the nine-seed after winning 28 games, a regular-season title and a tournament title, that was pretty telling. The game has changed; college basketball has changed forever. We don’t have one team — outside of Iowa, which is a nine-seed, and they’re a Big Ten school — in the Sweet Sixteen.”

Calhoun went 55-15 in two years at Utah State, but entered the NCAA Tournament as a 10-seed in 2025 and a nine-seed in 2026. His success was enough to earn his peers’ respect, but not enough for the Selection Committee to make his Aggies the higher-seeded team in either tournament.

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However, Utah State’s placement in the 2026 tournament was beneficial for Calhoun’s career. It allowed him to play a struggling power-conference team, Villanova, to end the season with a quality win while Stan Van Gundy repeatedly called him one of the best offensive minds in the game on the broadcast. If he was not already on Cincinnati’s radar at that point, he certainly was by the end of the game.

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So far during his time on Food Network’s “The Ultimate Baking Championship,” Adalberto Diaz has suffered through a setback he described as “the biggest embarrassment,” and heard a judge on the show say his cake could not be served in a restaurant.

Going into the third episode of the competition, which aired earlier this week, the Utah chef behind the Salt Lake City bakery Fillings & Emulsions wanted a moment of redemption.

He got it — sort of.

Things went much more smoothly for Diaz than his previous rounds on the show — at one point, he even declared, “I’m back, baby!”

But it wasn’t completely smooth sailing.

For the third week in a row, Diaz found himself among the bottom bakers and on the brink of elimination.

Here’s a look at how he fared in the competition — and if he’s still in the running for the $50,000 grand prize.

Adalberto Diaz lands in the bottom 3 on ‘The Ultimate Baking Championship’

“The Ultimate Baking Championship” competition has been intense — the premiere episode eliminated six of the 16 top pastry chefs from across the country.

At the start of the third episode, Diaz found himself in the top nine.

For this round of the competition, the show divided the nine bakers into groups of three. The three bakers in each group received the same classic pastry assignment and had to compete against each other with their own interpretations of the dish.

Diaz’s group got assigned Boston cream pie, which delighted the Utah chef, who said he’s been making pastry cream filling since he was 9.

To make his pastry stand out, Diaz drew inspiration from history. He channeled the architecture of the Parker House Hotel — where the Boston cream pie was created — by adding little gold details to his chocolate rum ganache cake.

After 2½ hours, he confidently brought his cake to pastry chef Duff Goldman and guest judge Shinmin Li for feedback.

“I think the message is very clear — I am back,” Diaz told producers ahead of the judging. “I feel very, very good about this.”

The judges had high praise for the Diaz’s final product, complimenting everything from its appearance to its taste.

“That is the fanciest Boston cream pie I have ever seen in my life,” Goldman said.

“I’m back, baby,” Diaz said with a smile.

But the Utah chef had some fierce competition, directly up against Christopher Teixeira, who is from Boston, and Juan Gutierrez, who has been one of the top bakers throughout the competition.

“This is gonna be a tough one,” Goldman said before entering his score.

Ultimately, host Jesse Palmer revealed that Diaz had placed at the bottom of his group of three: Teixeira had finished first with 45 points, Gutierrez was in the middle with 43, and Diaz was close behind with 41.

But that didn’t mean Diaz was automatically eliminated. He was placed among the bottom three bakers, joining the other two who had finished last in their respective groups.

When Palmer revealed the scores of the other two bakers, Diaz, once again on the brink of elimination, could breathe a sigh of relief.

His score of 41 was more than enough to allow him to move forward. In the end, chef Robert Gonzalez, with a score of 29, found himself out of the competition.

Now, Diaz moves forward as one of eight remaining chefs competing for $50,000 in “The Ultimate Baking Championship.”

The show airs Monday nights on Food Network, with episodes available for streaming the following day on Discovery+ and HBO Max.

Who is Adalberto Diaz?

Diaz’s colorful macarons and fruit desserts are on display at Fillings & Emulsions in Salt Lake City — which the chef has described as an “eclectic Latin bakery with a French flair.”

“The last 12 years I have invested everything I have, everything, into my pastry shop,” Diaz said during “The Ultimate Baking Championship” premiere episode, which included footage of his new location that features bright murals painted by his brother to highlight their Cuban heritage.

“When I win this competition, it will be a dream come true and that money is gonna go straight into my business and my amazing team of chefs and pastry chefs,” he said during the premiere episode. “I want to make sure that we make it out of these harsh economic times.”

Diaz emigrated from Cuba in 2000 and made a home in Utah, where he quickly began working in the food industry. He worked at a few places around Salt Lake City over the next decade, and earned the American Culinary Federation’s title of Pastry Chef of the Year in 2012. He opened Fillings & Emulsions the following year, as the Deseret News reported.

The chef’s appearance on “The Ultimate Baking Championship” comes on the heels of being nominated as a semifinalist for the prestigious James Beard award for outstanding pastry chef or baker.

“I am part of this community and this community has welcomed me to be part of it, and even bigger, this country welcomed me when I came here, and gave me an opportunity to be more where I am today,” Diaz told the Deseret News last year after his James Beard nomination. “And I wish that opportunity was given to more people because you don’t know how they would change the world.”

The Utah Jazz are clearly doing everything they can to keep their pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Something tells me that next season, we won’t see as many players on the injury report as this season. That means that the core of this Jazz team will play, and it’s clear they’re going to play well. The question is, of the current Jazz roster, who is going to be the most important player next season? Now, Utah may win the lottery and that could change this entire question. If Utah drafts someone like Darryn Peterson or AJ Dybantsa, that changes everything. That said, let’s just ignore the lottery and draft for the sake of this question. If we’re looking at the odds, it’s statistically a little more likely Utah doesn’t draft in the top four of the draft anyway.

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In the entire 109-year history of the NHL, nobody has scored more regular-season goals than Alex Ovechkin. And he’ll be in Utah on Thursday.

Although it hasn’t been officially announced, there has been much speculation that this could be Ovechkin’s final NHL season. He has stated in the past that before he retires, he’d like to go back to Russia and finish his career with Moscow Dynamo of the KHL, where his career began.

He turns 41 in September, making him the third-oldest active player in the league. His 27 goals and 53 points through 72 games this season are low by his standards, but most guys would kill for a stat line like that in their prime, let alone with a full head of gray hair.

That said, he’s done it while playing as little defense as possible. Since they began tracking this metric, no NHL player has ever gone a full season without starting a shift in the defensive zone. Ovechkin is 10 games away from becoming the first.

Ovechkin is famous for his one-timers from the left face-off circle, particularly on the power play. Utah Mammoth fans have become accustomed to seeing those goals from Dylan Guenther, but Ovechkin has been scoring those goals in the NHL since Guenther was first learning to walk.

Over the last 21 years, Ovechkin has inspired countless kids to play hockey. One of them is Mammoth star Logan Cooley. Even though Cooley grew up in Sidney Crosby’s territory of Pittsburgh, he was an “Ovi” fan.

“In warmups, I’ll look over, and it’ll be pretty cool,” Cooley told KSL ahead of last year’s home game against the Washington Capitals. “But as the game starts, you want to limit his chances and not see him score now.”

The Capitals’ last visit to the Delta Center, on Nov. 18, 2024, began great for the superstar. He scored two goals, including the eventual game-winner. But then, misfortune struck.

In the third period, Ovechkin collided awkwardly in the neutral zone with Utah’s Jack McBain, resulting in a fractured fibula.

Ovechkin’s entire objective for that season was to break Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record, and the injury set him back a ways.

But he returned a month and 10 days later and picked up right where he left off, breaking the record with four games to spare.

The latest of many milestones in Ovechkin’s career is his 1,000th NHL goal, regular season and playoffs combined, which he hit against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.

After watching Connor McDavid score both his 400th goal and his 1,200th point on Tuesday, the Mammoth probably don’t mind that Ovechkin’s big moment came two games before his visit to Salt Lake City.

The Mammoth held Ovechkin off the score sheet completely in their visit to Washington, D.C., earlier this month as they held on for a 3-2 victory.

Utah police are investigating allegations of a third domestic violence incident involving “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Taylor Frankie Paul.

The investigation stems from a report from Paul’s ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, who contacted officers in the West Jordan Police Department in February alleging an instance of domestic violence on Paul’s part in 2024. No other details surrounding the incident have been revealed, but NBC News reports that officers are reviewing multiple videos connected to the incident.

Right now, police are believed to have only heard Mortensen’s account but have spoken with Paul’s attorney. Paul has been requested to either submit a written statement addressing Mortensen’s claims or appear in-person for an interview.

TheWrap has reached out to Paul’s team for comment.

The update comes just a week after ABC pulled Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette,” which was originally slated to premiere Sunday. That move came after video surfaced online of a domestic violence incident between Mortensen and Paul for which she was arrested in 2023. Bodycam footage of her 2023 arrest played in the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” premiere, and Paul pleaded guilty in abeyance to an aggravated assault charge.

“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” a spokesperson for Paul said in a statement last week after her season of “The Bachelorette” was pulled. “After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.”

“There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives,” they continued. “Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation, and public shaming. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”

Regarding the 2024 incident, a spokesman for the West Jordan Police Department said Mortensen contacted them under the direction of the Draper Police Department due to jurisdictional reasons. Draper police, meanwhile, are working through their own investigation that was opened in late February into the alleged domestic violence between Paul and Mortensen, which includes claims from both parties.

Last Friday, Mortensen was granted temporary custody of his and Paul’s two-year-old child. At the same time, production on “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” Season 5 has reportedly been put on hold, following the new domestic violence reports related to Paul. The pause was enacted after the star’s “Secret Lives” cast mates reportedly raised their concerns about her behavior during a call with Disney executives in early March.

The post Utah Police Investigate Taylor Frankie Paul for 3rd Alleged Domestic Violence Incident appeared first on TheWrap.

The Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards are rolling into their second of two matchups for this season as each wrap up their final 10 games of the year, and both will be dealing with some seriously depleted lineups before tip-off.

In all, a grand total of 14 players have already been ruled out for the action–– a number that could increase before gametime.

Here’s what to expect in terms of injuries for both the Jazz and Wizards for Wednesday:

Utah Jazz Injury Report

OUT – Isaiah Collier (hamstring)

OUT – Keyonte George (hamstring)

OUT – Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee)

OUT – Walker Kessler (shoulder)

OUT – Lauri Markkanen (hip)

OUT – Jusuf Nurkic (nose)

OUT – Brice Sensabaugh (rest)

DOUBTFUL – Kyle Filipowski (illness)

QUESTIONABLE – Cody Williams (shoulder)

The Jazz will be dealing with some major injuries both in their starting lineup and down their rotation.

The biggest names that stick out on the report besides their usual suspects from the past couple of weeks like Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen is the status of each of their second-year players: Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski, and Cody Wiliams.

Collier will now be slated to miss his fourth straight game as he’s been dealing with what the team labels as hamstring soreness, and will continue to leave the Jazz backcourt without their typical starter and backup in the rotation.

That puts both two-way signees Elijah Harkless and Kennedy Chandler, currently in the middle of a 10-day contract, in line to claim a good chunk of the Jazz’s minutes at point guard for the night; both of whom have shown good flashes in their recent opportunities.

As for Filipowski, it appears he probably won’t be in the mix against the Wizards due to an illness, while Williams is questionable headed into a second-straight game after missing their prior contest against the Toronto Raptors.

Don’t be shocked if Williams winds up downgraded for a second-straight game, and if so, will leave the Jazz starting five looking extra different from what it’s been through the past couple of wees against Washington.

Washington Wizards Injury Report

OUT – Alex Sarr (toe)

OUT – Tre Johnson (ankle)

OUT – Trae Young (quad)

OUT – Anthony Davis (finger)

OUT – Kyshawn George (elbow)

OUT – D’Angelo Russell (not w/ team)

OUT – Cam Whitmore (out for season)

QUESTIONABLE – Bilal Coulibaly (foot)

QUESTIONABLE – Tristan Vukcevic (back)

The Wizards will be without several of their key pieces as well.

Both of their big trade deadline acquisitions from earlier this season, Trae Young and Anthony Davis, remain out with their respective injuries, while multiple of their key young pieces brought in through the past few years, like Alex Sarr and Tre Johnson, will also be out.

The two names to keep an eye on leading up to tip-off will be both Bilal Coulibaly and Tristan Vukcevic; each listed as questionable for the action, and could add to Washington’s lengthy total of absences as-is.

Tip-off between the Jazz and Wizards lands at 7 p.m. MT in the Delta Center, where we’ll likely be in for another game with a lot of Ace Bailey, and perhaps another explosive scoring outing to pair with it.

A Utah woman faces criminal charges that she snatched an 11-year-old boy who was riding his bike, drove him to her home and made him apologize to her son for supposed bullying, according to a criminal complaint.

Shannon Tufuga, 40, of Provo, was charged Monday with child kidnapping and aggravated child abuse in connection with the incident, which happened last year, according to the Utah County Attorney’s criminal complaint.

Tufuga drove around in search of the 11-year-old, identified in the complaint as KB, and found him as he was riding his bike on Sept. 17, according to the complaint.

“The defendant was driving around looking for KB wanting to confront him about bullying her child,” it says. “When the defendant found KB she stopped her vehicle in front of KB’s bike and made KB get into her vehicle.”

She then drove him to her home without his parents’ knowledge or permission, made him apologize to her son and threatened to have her husband “beat up” the boy, the complaint says.

Tufuga told him he was “lucky” she did not run over his bike when she found him riding it, according to the complaint, before she ultimately returned him to his home that day.

It is not clear whether Tufuga has a lawyer for the case. An attorney who represented her in a civil matter in 2023 did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the public defender’s office could not be reached.

The incident caused the boy to suffer “serious emotional distress” and “high anxiety” and has forced him to “significantly” alter his daily routines, according to the complaint.

It is not clear why prosecutors took so long to file charges. The county attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

The charges in the kidnapping case are listed in Utah Criminal Code as first-degree felonies, but prosecutors filed them as second-degree felonies after they determined the reduction would be “in the interests of justice,” according to the complaint.

Under state law, someone prosecuted for a second-degree felony could be punished with a sentence of one to 15 years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both.

Provo is a city of around 115,000 people about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

“Italy won a record 30 medals during the Milano Cortina Games. That made things even more joyous for all the spectators there. It really buoyed their ticket sales,” said spokesman for Utah 2034 Tom Kelly. “Now we’re looking to refine and create what I call an overall training center. That has services for athletes. Lodging, transport services, sports medicine,” added Colin Holton, CEO of Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation.

Utah State made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament as a No. 9 seed but fell to No. 1 seed Arizona, ending their season. That loss also ended Jerrod Calhoun’s time as coach of the Aggies.

Calhoun has agreed to a six-year deal to become the next coach at Cincinnati, according to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports. The 44-year-old coach guided Utah State to back-to-back appearances in March Madness, but has been rumored to be interested in the job at his alma mater for weeks.

Calhoun began his career as a student assistant at Cincinnati under former coach Bob Huggins, and this wasn’t an opportunity he could pass up. He went 55-15 in two seasons at Utah State and continued the trend of jumping from mid-major programs to the power conferences, joining arguably the best conference in college basketball with the Big 12.

The Bearcats fired Wes Miller two weeks ago after Cincinnati failed to make the NCAA tournament in each of his five seasons leading the program. Calhoun’s resume and connection to the school made him instantly the top candidate for the job. The Bearcats haven’t made the tournament since 2019, when current UCLA coach Mick Cronin was leading the charge.

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Kansas State was also in the running for Calhoun, but when he didn’t engage with the offer, it became clear where he was going next. Calhoun’s experience at Youngstown State and Utah State gives him a record of 173-121 as a Division I coach. His buyout is believed to be around $4 million to leave Utah State.

Cincinnati is preparing to increase its NIL pool to more than $8 million before next season, according to Norlander, giving Calhoun plenty of resources to start a rebuild and hopefully make it back to the tournament soon.