Sports

Columns

In the Paint: Defending the NBA play-in tournament

By Jenny Lu | April 22

I'm not sure where I stand on the play-in tournament's use during this unconventional season, but I think the format is a step in the right direction. The NBA has long been criticized for how predictable it is. There are superstar players and overloaded teams, making the playoffs rather cut and dry. Critics compare the professional league to college basketball and March Madness, citing college-level play as more exciting due to there being more upsets.

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Sports

Conquest in Connecticut as men's lacrosse picks up wins against Conn., Wesleyan

By Isabel Castro | April 21

The Jumbos, who were recently ranked by the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association as the No. 3 Div. III team in the country, continued to flex their offensive power a week after setting the school record for goals scored in a game. The Jumbos' set another team record with their combined 51 goals scored over the weekend, breaking the previous record of 39, which was set during the NESCAC championship weekend in 2014.

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Sports

Tufts softball stays resilient through nail-biters and blowouts

By Isaac Karp | April 21

Sitting atop the East Division with an 8–2 overall record and 5–1 mark in conference play, the Jumbos seem sure to make the NESCAC championship, but not without some obstacles along the way. In terms of their strength of schedule, the teams Tufts has beaten have a combined winning percentage of around .455 in the NESCAC, while Bowdoin — who split wins with Tufts in their matchup this weekend — is the only opponent with a winning percentage for conference play of at least .500.

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Sports

Off the Gridiron: Answering the biggest questions of the NFL Draft

By Henry Gorelik | April 21

With the No. 4 pick, the Atlanta Falcons could draft their next franchise quarterback, select "unicorn" Kyle Pitts or trade down to accumulate assets. Yes, there are clear benefits with each option, but I believe being in the position to select a franchise quarterback is too great of an opportunity to pass up. Additionally, 35-year-old Matt Ryan would be the perfect mentor and bridge to either Fields or Lance.

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Sports

Top teams announce formation of new European Super League

By David Cooperman | April 20

Many around the soccer world raged about the decision, thought to bring an end to the sport as it is known and loved by millions. On April 19, Aleksander Ceferin, president of the Union of European Football Associations, said that any players who were involved in the Super League breakaway would be banned from playing in the World Cup and European championships. Additionally, UEFA executive Jesper Moller announced that he expected the three remaining Champions League teams involved (Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid) to be removed from the UEFA Champions League semifinals. 

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Sports

Men's Tennis conquers Colby in season debut

By Tim Chiang | April 16

The No. 18 Tufts Jumbos opened their long-awaited return to competition with a 6–3 win over the No. 37 Colby Mules. Colby suffered their first loss of the season and fell to 2–1 (1–1 NESCAC). Senior co-captain Boris Sorkin and sophomore Josh Belandres, the No. 7 doubles team in the country, tallied the first win for the Jumbos by defeating Jan Wenger and Joey Barrett at No. 1 doubles, 8–5.

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Soccer

Highlights from the UEFA quarterfinals

By Aman Chokshi | April 16

The last two weeks witnessed the quarterfinals of the Union of European Football Associations Champions League, the biggest competition in club soccer. Eight teams remained in this elite tournament, with the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City gunning for the prize.

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Columns

The Fast Break: Injuries to consider for the playoffs

By Aiden Herrod | April 16

Like it or not, injuries play a major role in the power balance of the NBA. The super teams of the league know this well. The Lakers and Nets have kept their superstars off the court more often than on it, nursing their injuries to ensure full health by the playoffs. In this COVID-compressed season, injuries have been even more impactful than usual as players take on more games with less rest, a combo that can often lead to devastating outcomes. With that in mind, I’ve highlighted a few of the most impactful recent injury situations to watch as we gear up for the NBA playoffs.

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Sports

Baseball opens season with series win over Colby

By Jack Adgate | April 15

The Tufts baseball team won three out of four games this weekend against Colby, winning two at home on Saturday and one on the road on Sunday. The Jumbos took the first game with a strong start from junior right-hander Michael Volgende. The Connecticut native surrendered only two hits in six innings of work, striking out eight and walking only one. 

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Sports

Men’s and women’s rowing open season on the Malden River

By Keila McCabe | April 15

This past weekend, Tufts men’s and women’s rowing combined for mixed results in their season opener on the Malden River against Wesleyan University. The men’s 1v8 boat lost its first race, but the men’s 2v8 boat edged out Wesleyan. Both the women’s 1v8 and 2v8 boats fell short to the Cardinals.

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Columns

3-Point Play: Play-in viability, injury updates and new Timberwolves ownership

By Matt Chen | April 15

As we enter the final month of the NBA’s regular season, the fourth through 10th seeds of the Eastern Conference remain in flux while the league’s elites have established themselves as the teams to beat in this year’s playoffs. However, injuries to key contributors on contenders threaten playoff and championship hopes for many teams, the new play-in tournament has fallen under scrutiny and one team is soon to be under new ownership.

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Sports

Tufts softball finds its groove, sweeps Colby in 4-game series

By Isaac Karp | April 14

The series consisted of two doubleheaders: the first set at Tufts on Saturday and the second at Colby on Sunday. The final game was a blowout win for the Jumbos, who beat the Mules in five innings due to the mercy rule. Tufts sophomore catcher Josie Steinberg and graduate student infielder Casey Maggiore combined for four hits and three RBIs. DiCocco, a first-year who has immediately contributed to the team, now has a 3–1 record with two wins as a starter, and was just named NESCAC Pitcher of the Week.

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Columns

Long Shot: JJ Redick and ThreeFourTwo Productions

By Samuel Charlton | April 14

Over the past four years or so of running his podcast and interviewing people from NBA stars to presidential candidates, Redick fell in love with podcasting as a creative medium but felt that his endeavors were always somewhat lacking from the business end. He began to realize during the early months of 2020 that he didn’t own the most valuable assets of his show, the concept and the intellectual property behind the show.

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Columns

Olympic Torch: The torch must be lit in Tokyo

By Arnav Sacheti | April 14

The Japanese government has spent $15.4 billion on this Olympics — more than has been spent on any other Summer Games in history. Postponement costs alone account for 22% of the budget, such as renegotiating new stadium and TV deals. This is more than double what Japan initially planned for when it took on the job for the 2020 games back in 2013. If Japan backs out now, it stands to lose out on not only publicity for the country but a lot of revenue as well.

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Sports

Seniors reflect on the transition to wearing brown and blue

By Ananda Kao | April 12

As the incoming Class of 2025 is welcomed into the Jumbo family, senior student-athletes took a minute to reflect on their first years in Medford as well as their transition to Tufts both on and off the field. From the recruiting process and choosing Tufts to the countless hours in the weight room and competing for national championships, these student-athletes have been through it all and now offer valuable advice to student-athletes just beginning their journey in brown and blue.

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Tennis

Women's tennis sweeps Brandeis in first match this season

By Eric Spencer | April 9

The No. 11 ranked Tufts women’s tennis team marked the return of Tufts sports on Saturday with a dominant 9–0 victory over Brandeis in Waltham. While no spectators were permitted at the match, it was the first Tufts athletics competition this year. The match also marked the season opener for the Brandeis Judges.

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Columns

Wonder Women: Jessie Diggins

By Nicole Setow | April 9

This week, we’re celebrating a series of firsts: the first American to medal four times at the FIS Cross-Country Skiing World Championships, the first U.S. athlete to win the cross-country Tour de Ski and the first American woman to take home the FIS Cross-Country Ski World Cup. Remarkably, all of these accomplishments can be attributed to one athlete: cross-country skier Jessie Diggins.

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Sports

Spring sports return with unorthodox schedules

By Jack Adgate | April 8

While the continuation of a spring sports season provides Tufts student-athletes and sports fans with cautious optimism, the formatting of the schedules for each team reflects the difficulties of playing during a pandemic. The shortened nature of the season will put immense pressure on student-athletes to perform well, as their chances to qualify for postseason play are extremely limited.

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Columns

In the Paint: The NBA is not exciting right now

By Jenny Lu | April 8

Aside from injuries and load management, COVID-19 has also played a part in a less exciting season. More than 30 games were postponed this season and countless players have missed games due to contracting COVID-19 or contact tracing. Although these issues are understandable, the league could have taken more preventative measures, such as canceling the All-Star Game. 

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Sports

Reigning champions make no excuses after lost season

By Isabel Castro | April 7

The Tufts men's varsity soccer program has swiped four NCAA championship titles in its past six seasons, most recently taking home the crown with a 2–0 victory over Amherst in 2019. The common denominators among these titles have been traditional preseasons, schedules consisting of full-contact competitive play and former head coach Josh Shapiro. In soccer, many coaches say that players should know what they're going to do two plays ahead. A pandemic was never thought to be one of those plays. 

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