Chicago Sports

Daniel Jeremiah sees this year’s NFL draft class being deeper than it is wide.

“The difference between the 15th player and the 60th player in this draft is very small, and teams are going to have these guys in all different orders,” the NFL Network’s draft guru said last week.

That’s a good thing for the Bears. Because of their trade for quarterback Justin Fields last year, the Bears don’t have a first-round pick in this year’s draft, which starts April 28. Their first selection is scheduled to come at No. 39 — the seventh pick of Round 2. They have the seventh choice in Round 3, too — but, because of the Fields trade, won’t pick again until Round 5.

The Bears have only two picks in the first 146 selections. Or, to be even bleaker about it: if you totaled up the 2022 draft order of each NFL team using the Jimmy Johnson points system, the Bears rank 29th — ahead of only the Colts, 49ers and Super Bowl champion Rams. Only two of the bottom 18 teams on that list had losing records last year: the 7-10 Seahawks, who are also without their first-round pick, and the 6-11 Bears.

New Bears GM Ryan Poles vowed to “build through the draft” — but he’s unlikely to find major cornerstones without a first-round pick. This week’s NFL Scouting Combine, figures to be more about free agents than potential draft picks.

When he’s not watching more than 300 draft-eligible players lift weights and run sprints this week, Poles and his new deputies will do what no NFL team could at this time last year: walk through restaurants, bars and the hallways of the Indianapolis Convention Center to get a read on the potential free agent market. Agents will make it clear what they expect their players to command when the NFL’s legal tampering period opens March 14.

The Bears’ offseason needs are obvious: offensive line help, at least one dynamic receiver, a cornerback to play opposite Jaylon Johnson and a slot corner to play beside him, and two linebackers to join Roquan Smith in the new 4-3 base defense.

The Bears are better positioned for free agency than they are the draft. Per OverTheCap.com, the Bears have $25.3 million to spend this offseason, the 11th-most in the NFL. That doesn’t count veterans the Bears could cut in the next two weeks.

Inside linebacker Danny Trevathan started only one game last year and appeared in only five before being put on Injured Reserve a second time in a concession that he was no longer valuable to the team. Nose tackle Eddie Goldman wasn’t the dominant force last year that he was in 2019; in between, he sat out a year due to coronavirus. Running back Tarik Cohen has missed the Bears’ last 30 games since tearing his ACL in 2020. The Bears could cut quarterback Nick Foles, too — they traded for him two years ago because of his connections to the offensive coaching staff, but then fired those coaches.

If the Bears cut the four players, they’d be taking on more dead money than the salary cap space they’d save, though the calculus could change if the Bears designate up to two of them as post-June 1 cuts.

Poles and new head coach Matt Eberflus will be asked about their plans with those veterans — and how some of the defenders fit into the new scheme — when they meet the media Tuesday. A month ago, when they were hired, they each said they needed to further evaluate the Bears roster. That has since happened, though it’s unlikely either will lay out their future plans publicly.

The combine, after all, marks the start of lying season. Free-agent action will speak louder than whatever words come out of their mouths this week.

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GENEVA — In a sweeping move to isolate and condemn Russia after invading Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee urged sports bodies on Monday to exclude the country’s athletes and officials from international events.

The IOC said it was needed to “protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants.”

The decision opened the way for FIFA, the governing body of soccer, to exclude Russia from a World Cup qualifying playoff match on March 24. Poland has refused to play the scheduled game against Russia.

The Olympic body’s call also applied to athletes and official from Belarus, which has abetted Russia’s invasion by allowing its territory to be used to station troops and launch military attacks.

The IOC said it acted “with a heavy heart” but the impact of war on Ukrainian sports outweighed the potential damage done to athletes from Russia and Belarus.

It was not a total blanket ban by the IOC. Where exclusion was “not possible on short notice for organizational or legal reasons,” then teams from Russia and Belarus should compete as neutral athletes with no national flag, anthem or symbols, including at the upcoming Winter Paralympics in Beijing.

The IOC also withdrew the Olympic Order it gave Vladimir Putin in 2001, and other Russian officials since.

Sports bodies across Europe had already moved against Russia on Monday by refusing to host or play against teams from the country.

Finland wants the Russian hockey team to be banned from the men’s world championships it will host in May, the Swiss soccer federation said its women’s team will not play Russia in July at the European Championship, and German soccer club Schalke said it had decided to end its longstanding partnership with Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom.

FIFA declined to ban Russia from the World Cup over the weekend. Instead, the soccer body said the country’s national team will have to compete as Football Union of Russia as punishment. Besides Poland, both Sweden and the Czech Republic, Russia’s next potential opponents, have said they would refuse to take the field against them.

“The Swedish Football Association is disappointed with FIFA’s decision but is determined to continue to work together with other federations to cancel Russia’s matches in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers,” the body said Monday, citing the “illegal and deeply unjust invasion of Ukraine.”

The World Cup is scheduled to begin on Nov. 21 in Qatar.

In European club soccer, Russian team Spartak Moscow is still scheduled to play next week in the Europa League against German club Leipzig. European governing body UEFA allowed Spartak to take its place in the round of 16 draw on Friday, one day after Putin ordered the invasion to start.

UEFA called a meeting of its executive committee for later Monday and is expected to exclude Russian teams from its competitions based on the IOC’s announcement.

There is precedent for removing Russian teams from sports. In 1992, following United Nations sanctions, FIFA and UEFA expelled Yugoslavia from its competitions when war broke out in the Balkans.

Besides Schalke’s effort to drop Gazprom as a partner, UEFA is also expected to see if it can nullify its sponsorship deals with the company. Gazprom sponsors both the Champions League and the European Championship.

FIFA has attracted the most criticism among sports bodies for allowing Russia to continue competing, at least for now, in the World Cup qualifying playoffs. It has kept open the option of a ban.

FIFA attempted to compromise by ordering Russia to play at neutral venues without its flag and anthem and under the name of its federation — the Football Union of Russia.

That aligns with sanctions imposed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in December 2020 to punish Russia for state-backed doping and cover-ups of cheating, and applied at last year’s Tokyo Olympics and this year’s Winter Games in Beijing.

The Russian soccer team was already due to play under those conditions if they qualified for the World Cup because of the doping scandals. FIFA’s decision to apply the conditions to a regional sports event — European qualification games — is the only element of punishment for the war.

If Russia were to play Poland as scheduled on March 24 and win, the team would then face either Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29.

Swedish soccer federation president Karl-Erik Nilsson, who is also the senior vice president at UEFA, said Sunday he expected a “sharper stance” from FIFA.

Polish soccer federation president Cezary Kulesza said Sunday it was “totally unacceptable” that FIFA had not immediately expelled Russia from World Cup qualifying and said Poland is “not interested in participating in this game of appearances.”

Another of Russia’s future opponents, Albania, also said Sunday it would not play against that country in any sports. Russia and Albania are scheduled to meet twice in June in the UEFA Nations League soccer tournament. The group also includes Iceland and Israel.

In hockey, the sport’s governing body has come under pressure from Finland and Switzerland to ban Russia and Belarus, which are both due to play at the world championships in May in Helsinki and Tampere.

Finnish Hockey Association chairman Harri Nummela said in a statement Monday it had talks with the Zurich-based IIHF to exclude the two countries from the sport internationally.

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2022 NFL Draft Chicago Bears John Metchie III

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Illinois State basketball hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament in 24 years.

Every single Missouri Valley Conference school has gone to the NCAA Tournament since the last time the Redbirds did so in 1998. That’s pretty remarkable since the ISU job has been considered one of the very best in the conference.

Recently fired coach Dan Muller came close. His 2016-17 team won 28 games and ran through the MVC with a league record of 17-1. But the NCAA Tournament committee popped ISU’s bubble that year and left them on the outside looking in.

Former coach Tim Jankovich also came very close. Multiple times, in fact.

Illinois State lost to Drake, the No. 20 ranked team in the country at the time, in the championship game of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament in 2008.

Illinois State was one game away from a NCAA tournament berth in 2009, losing in overtime to Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament title game.

The Redbirds lost in the championship game of the MVC Tournament — once again in a heartbreaking overtime loss — to Creighton and star Doug McDermott in 2012.

Jankovich really had the program humming along during his five-year tenure. ISU had win totals of 25, 24, 22 and 21 in four of the five years and a team that was loaded with young, returning talent when he departed for SMU to be Larry Brown’s assistant while also being named the head-coach-in-waiting.

Despite the nearly quarter century without a single NCAA Tournament appearance, this is a program in the college basketball industry that is universally considered to be one of the better mid-major jobs in the country. That’s why Kyle Brennan, a fresh and relatively new face to ISU athletics, is in a great spot.

Hired in December of 2020 as the Director of Athletics, Brennan will not have a hard time compiling a list of top-notch candidates. This will be a coveted mid-major job with inquiries from potential candidates he didn’t dream would be interested.

But any good athletic director already has at least a short list of candidates he seeks to interview and take time with in the process. The early termination of Muller, who was fired with five games remaining in the regular season and the still-to-be-played conference tournament, gives Brennan even more time.

But that list needs to include someone who can target and recruit the state of Illinois, along with the recruiting breadbasket surrounding the state. The St. Louis and Indianapolis metropolitan areas are less than a three-hour drive from campus.

This job, with the entire Chicago area an easy two-hour drive to the Normal campus and centrally located to the other parts of the state, needs a coach to recruit this state.

The last ISU NCAA Tournament team was led by Rico Hill of Brother Rice. Big man Leroy Watkins was from Chicago Corliss and guard Kyle Cartmill from Quincy.

The following short list of 10 potential candidates for the Illinois State job is one with some very realistic targets and some that may be a reach but worth talking about.

Roger Powell, Jr., Gonzaga assistant

A red-hot assistant coach who happens to be on the staff of a college basketball giant and the No. 1 ranked team in the country. When you’re a part of one of the most enviable college basketball jobs and cultures in the country, it’s only a matter of time.

Powell will be a head coach sooner than later and will likely be able to be a bit choosy among mid-major level jobs. For Powell, it’s more of a question of where as when.He will only take a job he really wants and finds attractive. And coming home to Illinois should do the trick.

This appears to be an obvious and ideal fit in many ways and one that would energize the fan base, the program and likely Powell himself.

In addition to learning and growing as a coach under coaching icon Mark Few at Gonzaga, he worked at both Valparaiso and Vanderbilt for a number of years for Bryce Drew.

Powell is a big name and respected figure locally having starred at Joliet in high school and then at Illinois as a college player. He was an integral part of the famed Fighting Illini 2005 Final Four team.

The always approachable Powell knows the state extremely well and has deep relationships in Illinois. Powell just recently led the charge in signing Glenbard West’s Braden Huff, arguably the state’s top prospect.

And he’s a legacy as Powell’s father, Roger Powell, Sr., starred at Illinois State in the 1970s, averaging over 19 points a game as a senior for the Redbirds.

Illinois State became the first Division I basketball program in the country to hire a Black head coach when it hired Will Robinson in 1970. The program hasn’t hired a minority candidate since.

Aside from head coaching experience, there is no question the polished Powell checks off a ton of boxes for Illinois State and Brennan.

Steve Prohm, Former Iowa State Head Coach

This would be a big name and proven coach with a whole bunch of high-level winning success and experience.

Prohm will undoubtedly be back in coaching at some point as the 47-year-old will be an intriguing candidate for a lot of athletic directors. Prohm might be enticed to get back into coaching at the mid-major level after experiencing both the highs and lows of a high-major job.

Prohm took three Iowa State teams to the NCAA Tournament before being let go a year ago after the Cyclones finished 2-22 overall and 0-18 in the Big 12. But he led Iowa State to tournament appearances in 2016, 2017 and 2019 with the 2016 team reaching the Sweet Sixteen.

Plus, he won big at Murray State, a school that’s joining the Missouri Valley Conference, before taking the Iowa State job. In four seasons at Murray State he went 104-29 and reached two NCAA Tournaments.

Prohm, though, was born, raised and went to school in Georgia and eventually graduated from Alabama, so he has more southern roots and comfort there than he would appear to have in the Midwest.

Scott Nagy, Wright State

All the veteran coach has done in his career is win. He would be someone illinois State has never hired before — a highly-successful sitting head coach.

Between his years at South Dakota State and Wright State, Nagy has won six conference championships and taken four teams to the NCAA Tournament since 2012. Since that 2012 season Nagy has averaged 23 wins a season.

Nagy is familiar with the state. In addition to always recruiting Illinois throughout his career, he grew up in Champaign, graduated from Centennial and is the son of Dick Nagy, a former assistant for Illinois coach Lou Henson.

The 55-year-old Nagy would bring a ton of experience, a lot of substance and a winning history to the program. The Missouri Valley Conference would be a step up from the Horizon League as Nagy finishes up his sixth season at Wright State following 21 years at South Dakota State.

Dennis Gates, Cleveland State

This might be unrealistic and may not make a whole lot of sense — for both sides — considering Cleveland State is atop the Horizon League and a return trip to the NCAA Tournament would likely mean Gates would be a hot commodity among high-major programs.

Gates has already been looked at and interviewed at that level in the last coaching hiring cycle a year ago. His success as a head coach, coupled with an extensive history as a high-major assistant coach, makes him a prime high-major head coaching candidate.

But there are local ties and he’s a name to at least explore no matter how big of a reach it would be to nab Gates.

Gates was born and raised in Chicago and played at Young where he won a state championship in 1998. He was an assistant coach briefly at Northern Illinois. So there are plenty of natural connections to the state.

After taking Cleveland State to the NCAA Tournament last season in what was a pretty remarkable turnaround of a program, Gates has been a hot name since in the coaching rumor mill and will continue to be.

Ryan Pedon, Ohio State assistant

One of the highly respected assistant coaches in the country. Pedon has been on the cusp of getting a head coaching job in recent years, but he’s been patiently waiting for the right job. But it’s coming sooner than later.

He’s completing his fifth season under Chris Holtman at Ohio State. The Buckeyes are on pace for a fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in those five years. He was also a part of two NCAA Tournament teams while at Butler.

Pedon has Midwest ties. The Ohio native has been an assistant at Miami-Ohio, Toledo and Butler while also serving on John Groce’s staff at Illinois as special assistant to the head coach.

Sharp, organized and a relationship-based assistant coach, he has recruited the state over the years and was instrumental in landing current Ohio State star EJ Liddell from Belleville West. He can easily sell his ability to build connections throughout the Midwest.

Pedon is ready to run his own show at the mid-major level.

Saddi Washington, Michigan assistant

A highly thought of assistant who has now coached under both John Beilein and Juwan Howard while at Michigan. He’s been in Ann Arbor for six seasons following a long run as an assistant coach at Oakland.

While at Michigan he’s been a part of a ton of high-level success, including multiple Big Ten championships, 30-win seasons and a trip to the national championship game in 2018.

A Michigan native who played at Western Michigan, the veteran assistant coach has drawn considerable head coaching interest from low-major and mid-major programs in recent years. But he’s been content at Michigan as he waits for the right time and best opportunity.

Washington remains an attractive candidate and appears to be in the sweet spot for breaking in as a head coach. He will surely be in the mix once again for Mid-American Conference jobs, ones that open during this coaching carousel. But Illinois State would be a better, more high-profile job than any potential MAC opening this spring.

Dean Oliver, Wisconsin assistant

The current Wisconsin assistant coach spent three years at Illinois State working for Dan Muller from 2014-17. Oliver was on the staff when the Redbirds won 28 games and went 17-1 in the MVC.

Oliver has been part of a Wisconsin program, which is currently ranked among the top 13 in the country, that has had a ton of success since his arrival in 2017. In those first four seasons he was a part of two NCAA Tournament teams — a third if not for the Covid cancellation of the tournament — including the 2019-20 team that shared a Big Ten title.

Oliver, who is from Iowa and played for the Hawkeyes, has learned the traits of being part of an established high-level program with the Badgers. He’s had his hands on all aspects of Wisconsin’s success over the past five years.

Brad Korn, Southeast Missouri State

A long-shot candidate, indeed, but a quick study and one can see he’s a head coach on the rise when you pay close attention. And he’s one worth noting with this job because of his familiarity with the state.

The Illinois native has done some impressive work in just two years as head coach at what has been a moribund college basketball program. Last year, his first season as head coach, SEMO was picked 12th in the Ohio Valley Conference and they finished seventh.

This season they are the No. 4 seed in the OVC Tournament — the best finish for the program in 22 years. Just this past weekend SEMO lost to Murray State, the No. 19 ranked team in the country, 70-68.

Korn, who played at Southern Illinois and helped the Salukis to three NCAA Tournaments, spent five years at Kansas State under Bruce Weber. He also has a ton of familiarity with the Missouri Valley Conference after spending six years as an assistant at SIU and four more at Missouri State.

Over the course of his career Korn, who checks off boxes in player development as well, has recruited the state of Illinois well. He has two Chicago area products, Bolingbrook’s Nana Akenten and Kenwood’s Manny Patterson, on the roster this year. While at Kansas State he landed Curie’s DaJuan Gordon, the Sun-Times Player of the Year in 2019.

Kyle Green, Iowa State assistant

A longtime college coach at various levels, Green has been in the Midwest and recruiting the state of Illinois throughout his entire career.

Prior to joining TJ Otzelberger’s staff at Iowa State, where the Cyclones have been one of the biggest surprises in the country this season, the bulk of Green’s coaching career was spent in the Missouri Valley Conference.

He was an assistant at Northern Iowa for 16 seasons where his ubiquitous impact on the program and its success was clearly evident. In his time there he was a part of two MVC regular-season championships and four NCAA Tournaments, including a Sweet Sixteen run in 2010.

The well-liked Green also has head coaching experience at the Division III and Division II levels, including two years at Lewis University in the Chicago area.

Green has been involved in some recent coaching searches and his move to the high-major level only helps boost his stock as a head coach candidate.

Eric Henderson, South Dakota State

This would be a relatively quick climb for Henderson.

But after winning a third straight Summit League regular season title, Henderson is showing legitimacy as a young, up-and-coming head coach. It’s not a long resume but it’s a blossoming one that is growing fast.

He took over for TJ Otzelberger in 2019 and has done nothing but win. He went 38-19 in his first two seasons, which led to a contract extension last summer. Now Henderson has led the Jackrabbits to a 27-4 record this season and a perfect 18-0 mark in league play.

But he’s been on the plains his entire career, starting with a playing career at Wayne State in Nebraska. He was an assistant at North Dakota State and South Dakota State for a combined five years before taking over as head coach.

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Before anyone can dream of playing in Champaign — or even a supersectional — teams must take care of business in sectional play. That comes this week as sectional semifinal games and sectional titles will be played throughout the state.

With regional action in the rear view mirror and just 64 teams remaining in Class 3A and 4A, it’s time to get serious.

Here are one observer’s picks for all the Class 3A and 4A brackets going forward.

Class 4A

Sectional Predictions

Proviso West: Young over Riverside-Brookfield; Lyons over Curie

Sectional Champ: Young

Thornwood: Kenwood over Bloom; St. Rita over Homewood-Flossmoor

Sectional Champ: Kenwood

Barrington: Barrington over Fremd; Libertyville over Stevenson

Sectional Champ: Barrington

Glenbrook South: Glenbrook South over Evanston; New Trier over Rolling Meadows

Sectional Champ: New Trier

Collinsville: Collinsville over Quincy; Normal over Moline

Sectional Champ: Normal

Oswego: Oswego East over Neuqua Valley; Bolingbrook over Andrew

Sectional Champ: Oswego East

Bartlett: Glenbard West over Naperville North; Benet over Wheaton South

Sectional Champ: Glenbard West

Huntley: Larkin over Rockford East; DeKalb over Rockford Auburn

Sectional Champ: Larkin

Supersectional Predictions

UIC: Young over Kenwood

Forest View: New Trier over Barrington

ISU: Normal over Oswego East

NIU: Glenbard West over Larkin

State Semifinals: New Trier over Young; Glenbard West over Normal

A final four matchup of Glenbard West and Normal would feature two teams with identical records of 35-1. New Trier surprises and makes its first State Finals trip in 20 years, while Young’s run at its fifth state championship in program history falls just short.

State Championship Game: Glenbard West over New Trier

The favorite and top-ranked team gets it done over the surprise state finalist. The Hilltoppers wrap up a magical season with a 37-1 record, the most wins for an Illinois state champ since the 1946-47 Paris team finished 40-2.

Class 3A

Sectional Predictions

Danville: Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin over Champaign Centennial; Decatur MacArthur over Mahomet-Seymour

Sectional Champ: Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin

Highland: Centralia over Chatham-Glenwood; East St. Louis over Marion

Sectional Champ: East St. Louis

King: St. Ignatius over Fenwick; De La Salle over Westinghouse

Sectional Champ: St. Ignatius

North Chicago: Lake Forest over Grayslake Central; St. Patrick over Carmel

Sectional Champ: Lake Forest

Marian Catholic: Hillcrest over Lemont; Thornton over Kankakee

Sectional Champ: Thornton

Hinsdale South: Simeon over Nazareth; Mt. Carmel over Hyde Park

Sectional Champ: Simeon

Crystal Lake South: Burlington Central over Rockford Boylan; St. Francis over Wauconda

Sectional Champ: Burlington Central

Peoria: Metamora over Rochelle; Rock Island over Peoria Manual

Sectional Champ: Rock Island

Supersectional Predictions

Springfield: East St. Louis over Sacred Heart-Griffin

Hoffman Estates: Lake Forest over St. Ignatius

UIC: Simeon over Thornton

Ottawa: Rock Island over Burlington Central

State Semifinals: East St. Louis over Lake Forest; Simeon over Rock Island

A beautiful blend of geographical representation from the city, suburbs, Quad Cities and southern Illinois converge in Champaign. The best prospects will be juniors: ESL’s Macaleab Rich, Lake Forest’s Asa Thomas and Simeon’s Miles and Wesley Rubin. But a couple of familiar teams advance.

State Championship: Simeon over East St. Louis

Simeon claims a state record eighth state championship. Coach Robert Smith wins his seventh — and a second title without a Derrick Rose or a Jabari Parker — with a team no one dreamed could win a state title nine months ago.

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The Chicago Bears may have offensive line at the top of their agenda this offseason and there are plenty of top-tier names available in free agency. With GM Ryan Poles a former offensive lineman himself, he could look to anchor the left tackle position and open the checkbook for a three-time Pro Bowl player: Orlando Brown.

Protecting QB Justin Fields’ blindside and allowing the young playmaker to get through all his reads without having to run for his life would be ideal in 2022. In this 2022 Bears Free Agent Breakdown, let’s break down how Brown may be a foundational piece for the Bears in the years to come.

Orlando Brown Jr. | Offensive Tackle | 2022: Kansas City Chiefs

Height: 6′ 8″
Weight: 363 lbs
Age: 25 years (May 2, 1996)
NFL Experience: 4 Years

Orlando Brown Jr. Scouting Highlights

Massive frame combined with outstanding arm length make him a challenge to get around
Able to seal down blocks with his huge frame alone
Nasty finisher who is looking to intimidate and overwhelm the man across from him
Linebackers looking to take on his second level blocks can be engulfed
Hands are heavy in pass protection and in run game
Kick-slides gain impressive ground in setting out to edge rushers

What people are saying about Orlando Brown

“As far as Orlando, he was a guy that had a dream to play left tackle and had a small sample size of him playing left tackle at Baltimore. He’s another unique character too where when you talk about a culture and when you talk about a guy that does everything the right way, Orlando Brown is in the category.” – Chiefs GM Brett Veach

“Brown has now been a Pro Bowler at both right and left tackle. He’s also been able to excel in the run-heavy Baltimore Ravens offense and the pass-oriented Kansas City attack. Brown is a tremendous fit at either tackle spot and in virtually any system.” – Kristopher Knox, Bleacher Report

Highlights

Projected Contract (Spotrac.com): 5 years, $116.5 million

Make sure to check out our Bears forum for the latest on the team.

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Kirby Dach’s goal Friday against the Devils was one of the most encouraging moments in his entire season.

It wasn’t so much because of how he scored it — using his defensive awareness and long reach to poke a puck free in the defensive zone, roaring down the wing on the ensuing two-on-one rush with his powerful stride, then showing off great edge control and soft hands to maneuver around the goalie and smoothly tuck the puck in.

It was more because he made the decision to try to score it.

So often over the past three seasons, Dach has infuriatingly passed up golden opportunities for himself in favor of attempted passes with low chances of success. On Friday, and increasingly more often over the past month, he’s decisively taking those opportunities himself.

“I’m making the plays when I want to make them,” he said Saturday. “[I’m] obviously becoming more of a dual threat, both shooting and making plays. It’s something I’ve been improving on and trying to work on each day in practice, so it’s coming along. But I feel like I have confidence in my shot and my ability to score.”

Added interim coach Derek King: “We’re trying to get those guys [to see] you’ve got to shoot there. Dach got it on the two-on-one, and he takes it wide as if he was looking to pass it, and I’m just like, ‘No!’ to myself. All of a sudden, he cut in, and it was a good power-forward kind of goal. So it was good.”

Before Jan. 25, Dach’s shot share — the percentage of all Hawks shots attempted during his even-strength ice time that he attempted himself — was 17.2%. Since then, it’s 22.8%. And Dach’s expected-goals share has similarly risen from 23.3% to 28.7%.

He was one of the more offensively involved Hawks forwards again Sunday against the Blues, tying his season highs with six shot attempts and four shots on goal in the 4-0 loss.

Moving forward, Dach might even be able to take advantage of his reputation as a pass-first player. Devils defenseman Damon Severson, defending that two-on-one, was evidently so convinced Dach would pass that he stood beside Brandon Hagel and gave Dach a free lane to the net.

Powerless D-men

The Blackhawks still don’t have a single power-play goal this season from their defensemen, a subtle but worrying statistic.

Seth Jones — who doesn’t have a goal at all since Dec. 2 — has attempted 43 power-play shots this season, getting just 21 on goal and neither scoring nor forcing a single rebound. Erik Gustafsson has attempted 24 power-play shots, getting 14 on goal, forcing one rebound and scoring zero goals.

“I’ve got to start shooting the puck more and trying to wrist [pucks] in and create havoc,” Jones said Sunday. “We’re around the outside a lot, [making] a lot of seam plays through the middle. We’ve just got to get a couple more pucks to the net, so I can be a part of that, as well.”

After an explosive three-for-four showing Friday, the power play as a whole took a massive step back Sunday. They recorded only two shots on goal on three opportunities and struggled to get through the neutral zone cleanly against the Blues’ penalty kill.

McCabe returns

Jake McCabe returned to the Hawks’ lineup Sunday after missing one game with back soreness, playing 19:22, but Calvin de Haan remained out with his groin injury.

Prospect defenseman Isaak Phillips was called up for his third career NHL appearance (first since Oct. 30) and played well.

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A ticket from Michael Jordan’s debut Chicago Bulls game sold for nearly half a million dollars at an auction Sunday morning.

Thirty-eight years ago, the ticket to the Oct. 26, 1984, game cost $8.50 — today, it made the seller, Michael Cole, $468,000.

Robert Wilonsky from Heritage Auctions, where the ticket sold, said the Jordan ticket nearly beat the record for the priciest ticket ever sold at auction. But, in the same auction, a ticket from Jackie Robinson’s Brooklyn Dodgers debut in 1947 sold for $480,000.

A then-Northwestern student, Cole attended the 1984 game alone after he couldn’t find a friend to join him. With two tickets waiting for him at will call, he used one and kept the other as a keepsake — making it the only known intact ticket from the game today.

With virtual tickets rising in popularity, Wilonsky said the auction house has seen an increase in demand for physical tickets.

“People don’t know what a paper ticket feels like to hold in their hands, to keep in their wallets, to hold on to forever,” Wilonsky said.

The magical thing about the little slips of paper, Wilonsky said, is that they were there — in Chicago Stadium as Jordan took the court for the first time, and in Dodger Stadium during Robinson’s debut.

“People are forgetting the value and nostalgia they had for that sliver of paper,” Wilonsky said.

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Connor Murphy and Caleb Jones played poorly Sunday.

There’s no other way to describe their performance in the Blackhawks’ ugly-all-around 4-0 loss to the Blues, which quickly reminded any fans energized by Friday’s electric win what most Hawks games nowadays are actually like.

In just under 12 minutes together at even strength, the Murphy-Jones pairing was outshot 8-4, posted an expected-goals ratio of 10.9% – an almost unbelievably bad number — and paid a price for those struggles. All three Blues even-strength goals happened with them on the ice, and Jones committed the penalty that led to the Blues’ power-play goal.

But interim coach Derek King made a good point after the loss: whenever any team — good or bad — plays any game, a few of their players inevitably won’t play well.

When the team as a whole can collectively carry the load, those individual off-games are quickly forgotten and forgiven. But when the team can’t, those individual struggles are amplified.

“You’re allowed to have a bad game in this league,” the Blackhawks interim coach said. “But we can’t afford to have three-quarters of our team have their off night at the same time. We don’t have that luxury.

“Usually your good hockey teams will have one or two guys maybe just not having a great night. But they’re protected, right? You don’t really notice it that bad. The team still wins and they’re coming in the locker room and everybody’s happy, so nobody talks about the two guys that had the bad game. But for us, it’s three-quarters of us that have bad games and this is the mood now. We’re all, ‘Where did it go wrong? What do we have to do to correct that?'”

That’s not meant to excuse Murphy and Jones’ mistakes Sunday, which were egregious at times.

The Blues broke a 0-0 tie early in the second period when Ivan Barbashev gloved down a Murphy clearing attempt then poked the puck past Murphy to Jordan Kyrou, who made Jones look equally silly by executing a give-and-go with Brayden Schenn for the tap-in goal.

Minutes later, after Henrik Borgstrom won a defensive-zone faceoff, both Murphy and Jones went behind the net to retrieve the puck but somehow neither did, leaving Pavel Buchnevich wide-open in front to double the lead.

“Their communication was off a little bit,” King admitted. “Everybody was off tonight. We were fumbling pucks, especially in the second period. But [the Blues] cause it because they come hard, they forecheck hard. That play was just a miscommunication. For the most part, those guys will make that play.”

There’s nonetheless plenty of blame to go around outside of that one particular duo. The offense sputtered and lost confidence after Blues goalie Jordan Binnington stopped several good chances in the first period, producing little the rest of the way. The Hawks were shut out for the sixth time already this season and finished the four-game season series against St. Louis having mustered only four goals.

“Sometimes it feels like you get these chances, and they just aren’t going in,” Dylan Strome said. “We got down and couldn’t fight back in it. [It was] disappointing, obviously.”

Borgstrom, whose underwhelming first season with the Hawks has been a lesson in invisibility, had a 19.8% expected-goals ratio. Dominik Kubalik, who has been almost as big a disappointment in his third season, posted a 33.6% expected-goals ratio.

Cherry-picking stats like that can be done after every game, though, and it seems almost pointless at this stage of the season. The bigger issue, one that became clear months ago, is the Hawks are simply a poorly constructed, depth-lacking and ill-fated team — a team that’s simply far worse than the Blues.

The Blues should have won Sunday, and did win Sunday. There’s only so much anger or finger-pointing that can be conjured up about such a predictable result.

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There’s really only one way to head into the final week of the college basketball regular season, and that’s with our collective hair on fire. There’s chaos at the top of the polls and the major-conference standings. There’s confusion about which teams will claim No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. This, folks, is when it’s really fun.

Saturday was bonkers in the best sense, with the top six teams in the country — Gonzaga, Arizona, Auburn, Purdue, Kansas and Kentucky — all losing on the same day for the first time in the 73-season history of the AP poll. No. 9 Texas Tech also lost.

And now? On the cusp of March, there’s just so much we still don’t know.

The top two conferences according to RPI have undecided races with giant implications. Kansas is 12-3 and Baylor 12-4 in the Big 12, with each powerhouse still to face Texas and having a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance very much in play. The SEC has Auburn at 13-3 and three chasers — Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee — at 12-4, with Auburn and Kentucky still in the No. 1-seed picture.

And the Big Ten might fall to current first-place occupant Wisconsin (14-4), or it easily could end up in a multi-team tie involving any combination — including all four — of Wisconsin, Purdue (13-5), Illinois (13-5) and Ohio State (12-5).

Is Gonzaga still in position to be the No. 1 overall seed? Maybe, but without the mystique it had as an unbeaten a year ago. Is Duke still in play for a No. 1? Sure, but not if it loses to North Carolina in Mike Krzyzewski’s final regular-season appearance in this extraordinary rivalry.

Did you get all that?

Here’s what’s happening:

MON 28

Bulls at Heat (6:30 p.m., NBCSCH)

Look, we’re not saying the Bulls can’t stand up to top competition. We’re just saying they’re 0-11 so far against the Bucks, Suns, Warriors, 76ers, Grizzlies and Heat and, well, you know, there’s always the next game.

TUE 1

Purdue at Wisconsin (8 p.m., ESPN)

Badgers guard Johnny Davis scored 37 in a huge early-January win in West Lafayette. Create a similar scene in Madison, and he might just lock up national player of the year honors.

WED 2

Blues at Rangers (6:30 p.m., TNT)

Like the Blackhawks, the Rangers haven’t made the playoffs (not counting the funky 2020 qualifying round) since 2017. Unlike the Hawks, they’re kicking the door back down this season. Hey, at least that means it’s possible.

THU 3

NFL Scouting Combine (3 p.m., NFLN)

Today’s menu: a mere seven hours of live coverage of tight ends, wide receivers and that position group only the total wonks care about — quarterbacks.

Bulls at Hawks (6 p.m., NBCSCH)

Ah, now this is more the Bulls’ speed. They’re 3-0 so far against the Hawks, who have as good a chance to get back to the Eastern Conference finals as Billy Donovan has to get back to the NCAA’s Final Four.

Penn State at Illinois (6 p.m., FS1)

Not long ago, PSU was that football school the Illini strangely just couldn’t beat on the basketball court. Three straight “Ws” since a six-game losing streak in the series have gotten things back to the way they ought to be.

FRI 4

Missouri Valley quarterfinal: Loyola vs. Bradley (2:30 p.m., ESPN+)

It’s must-win time for the fourth-seeded Ramblers, who need this one and two more after it to get back to the Big Dance.

Bucks at Bulls (6:30 p.m., ESPN, NBCSCH)

Remember that one time Alex Caruso was chopped down but none of his teammates went after the guy who hurt him, Grayson Allen? Yeah, this is going to be interesting.

SAT 5

Blackhawks at Flyers (2 p.m., Ch. 7)

You think the Hawks are bad? Nailed it. But Philly is even worse. At least we think Philly is worse. At this point, who can really tell?

North Carolina at Duke (5 p.m., ESPN)

A Duke win would give Coach K a record of 50-46 against the Tar Heels. No disrespect to young coaches Jon Scheyer and Hubert Davis, but this thing won’t ever be the same again.

Orlando at Fire (5 p.m., Ch. 9)

In the spirit of the Fire overhauling pretty much everything, here’s another idea for something new in Game 2 of the season: scoring a goal.

SUN 6

Missouri Valley final (1 p.m., Ch. 2)

Do the Ramblers get their shot at one last MVC title? If not, it probably won’t be a fun Selection Sunday at all.

Suns at Bucks (2:30 p.m., Ch. 7)

Round 1 went to the Suns — by 24 — in Phoenix. Is only one of these teams dead serious about getting back to the Finals?

Iowa at Illinois (6:30 p.m., FS1)

Senior Night in Champaign means goodbyes to some special dudes, but forget all that — better take care of business, Illini. The boys from corn country are dangerous.

“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” (8 p.m., HBO)

The debut of a 10-episode series introduces us to John C. Reilly as Jerry Buss, Adrien Brody as Pat Riley and — dramatic pause — Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson. Showtime!

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