SPORTS

By Joshua M Hicks

Sports Editor

@joshmhicksmedia

The Windy City Bulls suffer their fourth loss of the season 99-90 against the Greensboro Swarm Saturday January 11, 2025. The team is now 3-4 on the season so far. 

The Bulls get off to a strong 7-0 start to start the game behind the leadership of guard Alex Schumacher. Along with their offensive outburst, the team held a strong defensive presence, holding the Swarm to 30 percent shooting from the field and holding them without a 3-point shot. 

With a strong defensive presence and offensive contributions from guard Jordan Hall, forwards Ben Coupet Jr and EJ Liddell, the team was able to maintain an 11-point lead at the end of the first quarter, 28-17. The team shot 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from the 3-point line. 

The Bulls carried those same efforts on both ends of the floor to the second quarter. Though the Swarm made comebacks and the team began to cool off from their strong 3-point performance, the team maintained a strong showing offensively and made life difficult for the Swarm to score, holding them to 32 percent shooting and 12 percent from the 3-point line. 

Forward Emmanuel Miller held down the fort, making timely baskets that helped the Bulls keep their lead heading into halftime. The team held a five point lead, 48-43, thanks to 52 percent shooting from the field. Miller led the team with 11 points, while Liddell had 9 points heading into the break.

The third quarter became the Liddell show, with him scoring 8 of the team’s 23 points to put their lead back into double-digits. But the Swarm continued to fight, creating a comeback that would cut their deficit to as low as five points. 

The Bulls ended the third quarter with only a 73-68 lead.The Swarm completed their comeback, tying the game at 78 and ultimately taking a 83-82 lead with 4 minutes left in the fourth quarter. 

Thanks to 28 points in the quarter and a collapse of the Bulls’ offense, the team was able to secure the victory, breaking the Bulls two game winning streak. With the Bulls giving up a 21-point lead, head coach Billy Donovan diagnosed the reasoning behind the unfortunate downfall that led to them losing a game that they were in position to win.

“They went to zone [defense] and it definitely bothered us,” Donovan said. “That’s what good teams do sometimes. They try to mess up the game. Give them credit, they did a really good job executing down the stretch. They are 5-1 for a reason.”

While the zone disrupted their offensive rhythm, there were some positive signs that caught Donovan’s attention. Schumacher’s offensive presence in running the offense had solid moments that Donovan didn’t want to go unnoticed.

“[Schumacher and Marcus Domask] being two rookies, there are going to be points and times where you have to live with their mistakes,” Donovan said. 

“At the end of the day, I don’t want them thinking too much. Be aggressive and be you. We believe in your talent and capabilities. Just go out there and do the best you can. [Alex] has done a good job giving us a presence in the pass and presence in the paint.”

As the latest newcomer to the team, Miller recently signed with the team on a two-way deal before the Holidays. He discussed what his role will be on the team.

“My role is just to be myself,” Miller said. “The coaches believe in me, the Bulls believe in me, and they always tell me to just be myself. Continue to do the things that got me here and stay in the moment and be ready.”

Miller stayed ready today, scoring 23 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. Known for his defense, his offensive game showed in a positive way to enhance the team, especially in dry stretches throughout the game. For Miller, it is a sign of growth in learning this new offense.

“[I’m] getting more comfortable with the guys,” Miller said. “I got thrown into the mix and ever since then I’ve just been learning. Coaches have been great in executing and teaching me how [the team] plays. I’m getting more comfortable by the day.”

The Windy City Bulls will resume play with the second of a back-to-back game series against the Swarm tomorrow, Sunday January 12, 2025 at 2:00 pm at Now Arena.

By Joshua M Hicks

Sports Editor

ON AIR Daily News

@joshuamhicksmedia

joshua@onairdailynews.com

The Bulls suffered back-to-back losses against the Westchester Knicks in a 110-105 overtime nail-biter on Monday, January 20, 2025. On the day the country celebrated Martin Luther King Jr Day, the team sits at 5-6 in current action. 

While the Knicks picked up where they left off in their previous game, the Bulls started off with a much better effort on both ends of the floor. 

Behind the leadership of guard/forward Jordan Hall, the team shot 45 percent from the field and 37 percent from the 3-point line. Hall started the game with an 11 point quarter that helped bring the Bulls to a 29-27 deficit. 

The battle continued in the second quarter. The Bulls continued to fight, with guard Alex Schumacher and forward Emmanuel Miller stepping up with a combined 17 points in the half to keep the game close. But the team struggled to slow down the Knicks attack, allowing the Knicks to shoot 43 percent from the field and 37 percent from the 3-point line. 

The Bulls went into halftime only with a three point deficit, down 55-52. The team maintained shooting 46 percent from the field, but regressed from the 3-point line, only shooting 27 percent from behind the arc to end the half. 

Hall led the way for the Bulls with 15 points. Schumacher finished the half with nine points while Miller had eight points. The team continued to struggle shooting worse in the 3rd quarter. The team only shot 20 percent from the 3-point line. However, the game remained close, thanks to center Adama Sanogo.

Sanogo, who recently returned to the roster from a recent injury, came out aggressive, finishing the quarter with 14 points and 9 rebounds. His presence on both ends of the floor provided the Bulls stability, ending the quarter with a 78-78 tie. The Bulls ended up taking the lead to start the fourth quarter, thanks to Jordan Jackson’s offensive efforts. 

But the Knicks remained steadfast, slowly climbing their way to tie the game thanks to a game-tying 3-point shot by guard Jamal Bey to send the game into overtime. 

Despite a valiant effort, the Bulls lost their grip in the overtime, losing the period 7-2 that allowed the Knicks to secure the victory. The theme of the Bulls so far this season has been the lack of consistency. 

After going into another game where a lead was lost late in the game and ultimately leading to the loss of the game, head coach Billy Donovan III spoke on how turnovers and a lack of poise continue to derail the team from achieving consistent winning success. 

 ON AIR Daily News Sports Reporters  Joshua Hicks and Andrew Diederich take you behind the scenes after the game to get the inside story!  Sports Editor Joshua Hicks  gets an inside view during his exclusive post game interview with Windy City Bulls Center Adama Sanago after the team's  106-97 victory against the Indiana Mad Ants during the 2024 Season.  

If you're a sports fan, whether its football, basketball, baseball, hockey, race car driving,  polo, track and field  or bull riding, follow your favorite sporting  events! Subscribe to https://www.youtube.com/@onairdailynews. 

By Joshua M. Hicks

Sports Editor

@joshmhicksmedia

The DePaul Blue Demons turned the page on a new chapter starting the first season of the Chris Holtmann era with a 80-79 overtime thriller against Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles. 

The match was a constant back and forth. The Blue Demons started the game strong with 8 straight points from graduate guard Isaiah Rivera and a 3-point shot from senior forward Troy D’Amico. But Southern Indiana took the first punch and gathered themselves with a quick comeback to cut DePaul’s lead to two points, leading 11-9 at the first break.

Post break, the Screaming Eagles went on an 11-0 run, (14-3 run overall) over a four-minute period, making their next seven shots giving them a 16-11 lead. To slow the Screaming Eagles down, Off the bench, the Blue Demons brought junior guard Conor Enright off the bench and he sparked the time with energy on both ends of the floor. He drew a charge and stopped the bleeding by hitting a timely 3-point shot to cut DePaul’s deficit to two, giving Southern Indiana a 16-15 lead. 

DePaul had moments where they struggled to put points on the board, encountering multiple scoring droughts throughout the first half. But the team regrouped themselves, going on a 15-3 run and hitting 7 straight field goals to give the team a 34-28 lead.

Led by  Rivera, the team hit  11 of their last 12 shots, including a last second 3-point shot that allowed DePaul to go into halftime with a 44-40 lead. The team shot 63 percent from the field and 67 percent from the 3-point line. Rivera led the team with 20 points.  

The back and forth play continued in the second half. Rivera continued his scoring efforts and sophomore guard Jacob Meyer joined the 3-point party, hitting consecutive 3-point baskets to help extend DePaul’s lead. 

But Southern Indiana fought back and cut DePaul’s lead to two, holding DePaul to only hitting two of their last 12 field goal attempts, including 0 field goals over a five minute span. With under 4 minutes to go, DePaul was hanging on by a thread, holding on to a 68-66 lead. Down the stretch, Southern Indiana took over. As DePaul’s scoring woes varied throughout the stretch,  the Screaming Eagles took a 71-69 lead with 34 seconds left to play behind the leadership of sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi. 

The game appeared to be over, but the Blue Demons had the final say so. Meyer stepped up and knocked in 3 of his 23 points in the final seconds of the half to end regulation, sending the game into overtime. Overtime became a defensive battle, both teams making it difficult to score. 

DePaul sophomore guard Layden Blocker came up with timely defensive stops that included a steal that led to Meyer drawing a foul on the fast break and making two free throws.

Meyer’s free throws sealed the deal with the Blue Demons taking their home opener 80-78.
Meyers broke down the shot that gave the Blue Demons a second chance at winning the game. 

“Coach [Holtmann] put his trust in me to make that shot,” Meyers said. “I practiced that shot with my assistant coaches all the time.”With Blocker in and out of the game due to severe cramps, Rivera stepped up to help the team in the scoring department, dropping 25 points. Though he struggled in the last exhibition game against Illinois Wesleyan, he expressed his work ethic as the reason why he was able to knock off some of the rust and begin finding himself on the court.

 “Last game was my first game since I had double hip surgery,” Rivera said. “It didn’t go the way I wanted but I got back in the gym and worked with Coach Mullins. Coach Holtmann had me shoot shots when I was tired and tried to get my legs back to it.”

Head coach Chris Holtmann won his first game as the new coach of the program. He expressed gratitude and praised the team for their resiliency and fight to stay in the game and make big plays down the stretch. It has been over 300 days since DePaul won their last game. Holtmann’s message to the fanbase is simple: it’s a new day and he wants to earn the right for the arena to be full. 

“I can’t wait until this place is filled,” Holtmann said. “We have to earn the right for people to come watch us, but this place will be full.”

DePaul guard Isaiah Rivera finds space in the paint and finishes with his off hand in an exhibition against Illinois Wesleyan. Photo by Andy Diederich/ON AIR Daily News. 

DePaul sophomore transfer Jacob Meyer draws in defenders and looks for an open teammate.  Photo by Andy Diederich/ON AIR Daily News. 

Blue Demons head coach Chris Holtmann argues a foul call against DePaul in the first half of their exhibition game against Illinois Wesleyan. Photo by Andy Diederich/ON AIR Daily News. 

Josh Giddey fields questions from reporters at Bulls Media Day. (Andy Diederich / On Air Daily News)

By Andrew Diederich

Sports Reporter

ON AIR Daily News

At Chicago Bulls media day Monday afternoon, faces, new and old, donned the classic red and white threads inside the practice facility at the Advocate Center. Most notable amongst those new faces is former Thunder guard Josh Giddey, who was traded for Alex Caruso this offseason. 

The move came as part of a whole host of offseason transactions from the Bulls’ front office. Veteran star DeMar DeRoza

n was dealt via sign and trade in exchange for Chris Duarte and a pair of second-round picks. 

Other new additions were made in free agency, specifically the likes of Jalen Smith, Talen Horton-Tucker, and EJ Liddell.

Giddey, an Australia native now entering his fourth year, feels the most notable amongst the crew. Team president Arturas Karnisovas opened his media day presser with the following statement:

Coby White, Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, and Zach Lavine pose alongside Giddey during media day. (Andy Diederich / On Air Daily News)

“Our emphasis is on playing a fast-paced, tough, and energetic style that will showcase the talent we’ve invested in, particularly our youth, while still retaining key veteran leadership to guide them.” - Bulls President Arturas Karnisovas

Of the offseason acquisitions, Giddey is the one that checks all of the boxes. In 210 games with OKC, Giddey averaged 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists a night, mainly providing value in jumpstarting the potent Thunder offense.

“You look around this team that we have, and there's a lot of guys that can handle the ball, make plays in the open floor,” Giddey said. “It's a big luxury to have, and as a guy that likes to kick the ball ahead and get things going in transition, it's a great group of guys to play with.” 

Giddey spoke fondly of the assets that will be flanking him on the floor this season and elaborated on some of the work they’re doing to give this offense new life. 

“We've started playing scrimmages with 14-second shot clocks, and really emphasizing the pace that we want to play at,” Giddey said. “We've got the guys in this group to do it with, and that's just a matter of drilling it in, and once it becomes a habit, this team's going to be pretty scary to deal with in the open court.”

Certainly, Giddey’s value will also be tested by what help he’s able to provide on defense. 

Head coach Billy Donovan would not commit to setting a starting lineup for opening night, specifying the possibility of a three guard lineup at times. 

Team executive Arturas Karnisovas and head coach Billy Donovan speak at their media day press conference. (Andy Diederich / On Air Daily News)

This would put more defensive responsibility on Giddey as he’s replacing the ball-hawking Alex Caruso, whom he was traded for. And with Nikola Vucevic being the only solid rim defender on the roster, Giddey and the backcourt will need to shoulder even more when it comes to help defense and working the glass.  Still, Giddey’s teammates were thrilled to run things back with some new young blood amongst them. 

“​​He's a very good passer, a good pick-and-roll player, good in the open court,” Center Nikola Vucevic said of Giddey. “I think that's something when Lonzo (Ball) was injured, we missed a lot. And now we get both of them, which will be great.” 

The mention of Ball is also important to gauge what the Bulls will be able to do with a floor general in Giddey. The best this current Bulls core has looked was in 2021, where a healthy Bulls team with Ball at the point guard were first in the East halfway through the season.

Sure, it helps that DeMar DeRozan was playing MVP-caliber hoops, but the presence of a playmaker was really what amped up offensive output night after night. With Ball’s imminent return, albeit in a limited role, Giddey can hopefully step up and provide open looks for teammates while still pushing the pace.

Giddey and the Bulls start preseason play on October 8th against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Their regular season opener is at the New Orleans Pelicans on October 23rd.

By Andrew Diederich

Sports Reporter

ON AIR Daily News

You are not hallucinating - the White Sox won again.  

 In their final game of the 2024 season, the White Sox came out victorious against the Detroit Tigers, 9-5. An early five-run lead was nearly squandered before a suddenly potent White Sox offense put up 4 runs in the seventh inning. 

This win means the Sox finished their season winning 5 of their last 6 games, perhaps motivated by trying to not be laughed at any more than they already have.

Where does one begin when reflecting upon the Sox’s year? Despite finishing with the most losses in the modern era of baseball, their 41-121 record seems too generous in telling the full story. Somehow the events and reports coming out of the clubhouse tell a story of a team that transcends being bad. It’s not so much that the White Sox didn’t win, it’s being shown that they simply can’t win.

We’ll start with the numbers. 41 wins, 121 losses. Over 50 games back of the division-leading Cleveland Guardians. A losing streak of 14 games starting in May, only to surpass that mark a few months later by losing 21 straight. 

Allowing XXX runs while scoring only XXX themselves, for a dismal run differential of -XXX. Even for those not very familiar with the sport of baseball, the statistics seem cartoonishly poor.

It’s even difficult to find individual efforts that are worthy of acknowledgment. It certainly didn’t come from anyone on the coaching staff, as manager Pedro Grifol was fired after a 28-89 start to this year. Erick Fedde and Garrett Crochet were solid starting pitchers for the Sox this year, with Fedde actually finishing with a winning record of 7-4. 

But the real woes lie within the bullpen and those actually stepping up to the plate. Not a single member of the bullpen had an ERA under 4.13, and the hitters combined for an on base percentage south of .280.

Even advanced statistics won’t save these poor White Sox. No one outside of Fedde or Crochet had a WAR (wins above replacement) above 2, where any value less than 2 indicates a substitute level player.

Any professional organization that loses this much usually has problems that go higher-up than the clubhouse, and these Sox are no exception.