Nkrumah leads Tennessee State against Southeast Missouri State after … — and more

Tennessee State Tigers (19-9, 13-5 OVC) at Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (18-11, 13-5 OVC)

Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Thursday, 8:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Tennessee State plays Southeast Missouri State after Aaron Nkrumah scored 26 points in Tennessee State's 80-53 win over the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars.

The Redhawks have gone 9-4 in home games. Southeast Missouri State has a 7-8 record against teams over .500.

The Tigers are 13-5 in OVC play. Tennessee State ranks fifth in the OVC with 13.4 assists per game led by Dante Harris averaging 4.6.

Southeast Missouri State is shooting 45.4% from the field this season, 0.1 percentage points lower than the 45.5% Tennessee State allows to opponents. Tennessee State averages 6.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.1 fewer makes per game than Southeast Missouri State gives up.

The teams square off for the second time in conference play this season. Southeast Missouri State won the last meeting 91-82 on Dec. 20. Marqueas Bell scored 22 points points to help lead the Redhawks to the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Luke Almodovar is shooting 42.8% and averaging 14.1 points for the Redhawks. Brendan Terry is averaging 12.9 points over the last 10 games.

Jalen Pitre is averaging 6.8 points and 6.7 rebounds for the Tigers. Travis Harper II is averaging 2.1 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Redhawks: 9-1, averaging 71.8 points, 34.1 rebounds, 11.9 assists, 6.3 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 44.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 63.6 points per game.

Tigers: 7-3, averaging 80.5 points, 32.1 rebounds, 12.2 assists, 8.2 steals and 3.2 blocks per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 73.5 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Sacramento State Hornets (9-18, 5-10 Big Sky) at Montana Grizzlies (14-14, 8-7 Big Sky)

Missoula, Montana; Thursday, 9 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Sacramento State plays Montana after Mark Lavrenov scored 20 points in Sacramento State's 86-80 loss to the Idaho Vandals.

The Grizzlies have gone 9-6 in home games. Montana is 6-4 in games decided by 10 or more points.

The Hornets are 5-10 against Big Sky opponents. Sacramento State has a 2-1 record in one-possession games.

Montana's average of 8.1 made 3-pointers per game is 1.1 fewer made shots on average than the 9.2 per game Sacramento State allows. Sacramento State averages 7.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.1 more makes per game than Montana gives up.

The teams meet for the second time in conference play this season. Sacramento State won 86-79 in the last matchup on Feb. 1. Prophet Johnson led Sacramento State with 26 points, and Te'Jon Sawyer led Montana with 31 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Tyler Thompson is shooting 42.1% from beyond the arc with 2.3 made 3-pointers per game for the Grizzlies, while averaging 8.7 points. Money Williams is averaging 19.5 points and 4.6 assists over the last 10 games.

Jahni Summers averages 2.0 made 3-pointers per game for the Hornets, scoring 10.3 points while shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc. Johnson is averaging 22.1 points, seven rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.7 steals over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Grizzlies: 5-5, averaging 75.0 points, 27.9 rebounds, 14.9 assists, 6.4 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 74.0 points per game.

Hornets: 3-7, averaging 81.6 points, 29.5 rebounds, 13.4 assists, 8.0 steals and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 84.6 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Salah Legacy Sparks Debate as Merson Makes Bold GOAT Claim

Numbers Behind Merson’s Verdict

When Paul Merson talks football, he rarely whispers. His latest proclamation, first reported by Rousing The Kop, was delivered with typical certainty: Mohamed Salah is the greatest winger the game has seen. Not among the best. Not of his era. Ever.

“I’ll go Salah, because the numbers he’s put up are ridiculous,” Merson said when asked to pick his all-time winger. It is a statement designed to stir the bar-room arguments and light up message boards, yet there is a statistical case that refuses to be dismissed.

Salah’s haul since arriving at Anfield is remarkable for its relentlessness. Goals, assists, trophies, decisive moments in Champions League nights and title races. Week after week, season after season, he has delivered with mechanical precision and theatrical flair. Consistency is often undervalued in debates about greatness, yet it is precisely what separates Salah from many who burned brighter but shorter.

Consider how Liverpool’s spine has been built around enduring excellence. Virgil van Dijk at centre-half, Alisson between the posts, Trent Alexander-Arnold redefining the full-back role, and Salah slicing defences from the right. That quartet once gave Liverpool an aura bordering on inevitability.

Photo: IMAGO

Comparisons With Modern Wide Players

Merson’s present-day pick was more cautious. Asked to name the best winger currently, he replied: “Probably Saka, for being robust and everything.” It was a nod to Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, whose durability and productivity have driven his club’s recent title pushes.

Yet comparisons with Salah inevitably surface. Both are talismans, both shoulder the attacking burden of their teams, but Salah’s body of work remains larger, heavier, more decorated. He has done it in title-winning seasons, in Champions League triumphs, and against the fiercest defensive units Europe could muster.

There are other names in the modern conversation – Vinicius Jr, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia – players of pace and imagination. But few have blended longevity, output and big-match temperament quite like Salah.

And still, critics linger. They point to recent dips, a quiet spell in front of goal, Liverpool’s uneven form. Football is impatient. It measures greatness week to week, not decade to decade.

Liverpool Context Shapes Legacy

Salah’s case is inseparable from Liverpool’s wider story. During Jurgen Klopp’s peak years, Van Dijk marshalled the back line with imperial calm, Salah carried the attack, and the team played with a ferocity that bent rivals to its will. When Liverpool were at their best, they were irresistible.

This season, the edges have dulled. Injuries, tactical tweaks, fatigue, perhaps simply the natural cycle of elite sport. Suddenly, Liverpool no longer boast the best player in multiple positions. Van Dijk remains commanding, Salah remains dangerous, but rivals have closed ground.

That is where Merson’s claim becomes provocative. Greatness is often judged in hindsight. It demands perspective, context, and the willingness to weigh eras fairly. Hazard, Bale, Neymar – all dazzled. None sustained their peak as Salah has done in England’s unforgiving theatre.

Debate That Defines Greatness

Merson’s words will echo because football thrives on argument. Was George Best greater? What of Cristiano Ronaldo in his early Manchester United days? Where does Lionel Messi fit when he drifted wide from Barcelona’s right? These are questions without tidy answers.

Yet Salah’s case grows stronger each year. He is Liverpool’s modern icon, their relentless scorer, their emblem of ambition. He has rewritten record books while carrying the expectations of a global fanbase. He has been decisive when silverware was on the line.

And as long as Van Dijk stands tall behind him and Liverpool chase honours, Salah’s legend will keep expanding. Merson may be prone to bold claims, but sometimes boldness simply recognises what the numbers – and the memories – already show.

Football debates endure because they matter. They remind us of greatness, of eras defined by extraordinary individuals. Salah belongs in that company, and perhaps, just perhaps, he belongs at the very top.

Cyril Linette has left his position as CEO of the 2030 Winter Olympics following weeks of internal turmoil