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Seventh-ranked Nebraska clearly has commanded the fundamentals during a banner start, yet coach Fred Hoiberg still harps on the importance of pivoting.

That's because he knows the Cornhuskers can't focus on the past as they host slumping Northwestern on Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.

Tuesday's 80-77 overtime loss to visiting No. 13 Purdue still gnawed at many Nebraska players as the week progressed. Hoiberg acknowledged the frustration as a former athlete before discussing the need to move forward.

"I told them ... 'We've done a really good job of putting big emotional wins behind us. Now here's the flip side of it; you have to put the tough, emotional loss behind you now,' " Hoiberg said. "Really what will determine if you have success at the end of the year is how you handle those situations."

Nebraska (21-3, 10-3 Big Ten) has seen its resolve tested more than ever since Jan. 27. After storming out of the gate with 20 straight wins, the Cornhuskers have lost to fellow ranked foes Michigan, Illinois and Purdue by a combined 15 points.

The Cornhuskers trailed Purdue by 22 points early in the second half and didn't take their first lead until late in OT before falling 80-77.

One immediate area of focus: rebounding, especially the offensive glass. Nebraska finished minus-17 on the boards Tuesday while yielding 21 offensive rebounds.

"I know I've got to be better and more physical to not allow it," said senior forward Rienk Mast, Nebraska's co-leader in rebounds with 6.0 per game.

The Cornhuskers also hope to get a jolt from top scorer Pryce Sandfort (17.0 per game). After contributing at least 20 points in five straight games, Sandfort has scored 44 in his past three while shooting just 9-for-27 from deep.

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Northwestern (10-15, 2-12) aims to stop a four-game losing streak, one off its season high.

Hosting second-ranked Michigan on Wednesday, the Wildcats built the largest lead against the Wolverines this season, 16 points, before fading during the final 14 minutes of an 87-75 defeat.

"I do feel like we're getting better," Northwestern coach Chris Collins said. "I feel like our spirit is still really good. ... We've got guys diving for balls and battling. You saw the differential in size and athleticism. I mean, we're competing. Man, we're battling. So, I think there's a lot of good stuff going on."

While Big Ten leading scorer Nick Martinelli (22.5 ppg) regrouped with 18 points and eight rebounds, Jayden Reid paced all scorers with 20 points.

Reid provided just 25 points combined during the first three games of the skid.

Reid, a junior guard, has credited a growing chemistry with Jake West, a developing freshman guard, for helping to spark his game. Added athleticism also has sparked the defense, which forced 12 turnovers on Wednesday.

"Just having us both out there, it brings a different dimension to the game," Reid said. "Because, obviously, we could both play off the ball and on the ball. We can guard both spots. It's just fun being out there with Jake. It takes pressure off my hands."

Nebraska has won three of the past four meetings with Northwestern, including a 77-58 road win on Jan. 17. Martinelli and Sandfort scored 22 points apiece for their respective squads.

--Field Level Media

Few teams in college hoops are hotter than Kansas right now, but the No. 9 Jayhawks may have to ramp up their game even more Saturday when they play No. 5 Iowa State in Ames, Iowa.

Kansas coach Bill Self's club has spent all season trying to find its identity and somehow keep Darryn Peterson, a likely lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, healthy and on the court as well.

In their last outing on Monday in the finale of a two-game homestand, the Jayhawks (19-5, 9-2 Big 12) discovered they could still win a massive game with Peterson on the bench, as he was ruled out with flu-like symptoms for their big tilt with top-ranked Arizona.

Short-handed, Self's group went out and did the seemingly impossible -- knocking off the Wildcats, winners of their first 23 contests -- in an 82-78 thriller to record its eighth consecutive victory.

Big man Flory Bidunga was a key contributor, notching a double-double in a 23-point, 10-rebound performance. He shot 8-for-11 from the floor.

The Wildcats were ahead by as many as 11 points and led 71% of the game between the Big 12 powers, but Kansas sank all but four of its 25 free throws while the visitors made just 8 of 14 -- a 13-point margin.

Bidunga, who produces 14.9 points per game on 68.6% field-goal shooting and team highs in average rebounds (nine) and blocked shots (2.8), made up for the absence of Peterson (20.5 points, 41.9% from deep).

"They have size, they're strong," Bidunga said after preserving the win with a swat of Arizona freshman star Brayden Burries' try in the final seconds. "They got us beat (in) you know, the first half, I would say so. But we came out in the second half and then fought even harder."

The Cyclones (21-3, 8-3) will be licking their wounds a bit after dropping Tuesday night's 62-55 decision at TCU, snapping their five-game winning streak and allowing Kansas to stand alone in third place by one game. Arizona and No. 3 Houston are both 10-1 in conference play.

Perhaps worse than the loss to the Horned Frogs was the way it unfolded.

Iowa State led 55-50 following Nate Heise's layup with 2:38 left, but the visitors would not score again. A 7 1/2-point underdog, TCU finished the upset on a 12-0 run.

The Cyclones did not shoot well, draining just 5 of 23 (21.7%) from distance in their second-worst showing thus far.

Another glaring problem was ball security: They committed 17 turnovers, their second-highest total.

"For us, we take so much pride taking care of the basketball, but it's got to be something that really matters to us," said coach T.J. Otzelberger, whose team is 13-0 at home. "We can't have turnovers at a key part in the game. You know with the veteran guys we have out there and again, our guys really care, they're about the right things, they do the hard work."

Milan Momcilovic leads Iowa State with 18.4 points, while Joshua Jefferson scores 17 and grabs 7.7 boards.

Jefferson, a senior forward, was productive all around in the loss, notching 12 points, nine assists, eight boards, three steals and two blocks in 38 minutes.

--Field Level Media

Southeast Missouri State University Athletics

NEED TO KNOW

• College athlete Danny Duray has died at 20 years old

• The kicker for the Southeast Missouri State University Redhawks died on Feb. 11, according to a statement from the university

• Duray redshirted for the Redhawks during the 2024 season and transferred back to play with the team in 2026
  

Southeast Missouri State University is mourning the death of one of its student athletes.

On Wednesday, Feb. 11, Danny Duray, who was a kicker for the SEMO Redhawks, died. He was 20 years old, according tohis bioon the SEMO athletics website.

Brady Barke, the vice president for intercollegiate athletics, confirmed the news in apress releasethe same day.

"It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that one of our student-athletes passed away," he said. "This is a heartbreaking loss for our department, our campus community, and especially for those who knew and cared for him closely. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Duray family."

Duray was from Arlington Heights, Ill., where he grew up playing football and soccer for Hersey High School.

After redshirting with the Redhawks in his freshman year, Duray spent 2025 playing as a member of the College of DuPage Chaparrals. The business administration major planned to return to SEMO for the 2026 season.

According tohis bioat the College of DuPage, Duray was a two-time NJCAA special teams player of the week during the 2025 football season and scored 62 points as the team's kicker.

His bio listed his hobbies as "fishing, soccer and working out" and noted that the Chicago Bears fan was the son of Sam and Sally Duray.

"Today is one of the hardest days I've experienced as a coach. We lost a young man who mattered deeply to our program and to so many," Tom Matukewicz, Redhawks head football coach, said in the university's statement. "Our team is hurting. Danny's family is hurting. We are going to wrap our arms around them the best we can and walk through this pain together."

Southeast Missouri State University Athletics

Redhawks wide receiver Anthony Westervelt remembered his teammate as being "just so full of life," describing him as "always the funniest guy in the room" in a statement shared with the SEMO student news organizationThe Arrow.

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He continued, "Whenever he was around there was never a dull moment, I'll always remember him as the life of the party. He always made sure to be there for people and encourage others. He was loved by so many people and we all are going to miss him very much."

A cause of death has not yet been revealed.The Southeast Missourianreported that the Cape Girardeau Police Department were called to Houck Field around 1:50 a.m. local time on Feb. 11 to respond to "a medical assist call."

The Cape Girardeau Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Read the original article onPeople

The woman behind a popular California bald eagle camera that monitorsJackie and Shadowhas died, a nonprofit that works to preserve their habitat announced.

Sandy Steers was the executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, an environmental-education nonprofit organization well known for their live camera and social media posts of the eagle couple. Their mission is to protect and preserve the amazing natural local surroundings through environmental education and advocacy.

Big Bear Valley is part of the San Bernardino National Forest, about 95 miles from Los Angeles.

"It is with heavy hearts and great sadness to let our Friends of Big Bear Valley eagle family know that Sandy Steers passed away on the evening of Feb. 11, 2026," the group said in a Facebook post the same day.

In an emailed statement to USA TODAY, the group described Steers as "kind, caring, calming and healing.

"People love her and she is missed dearly. Our team is heartbroken."

Steers died from cancer, the organization said. She'd beaten cancer 30 years ago, but was diagnosed with it again later in life.

She had served as the organization's executive director for roughly 25 years.

The Daily Press, part of the USA TODAY Network,also shared news of her passing.

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Sandy Steers' legacy

"Sandy Steers truly exemplifies the spirit of the outdoors through her efforts to conserve the natural environment while helping to enhance and expand opportunities for outdoor recreation in California," Barbara Steinberg, a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of California, wrote in 2023, whilenominatingSteers for Outdoor Californian of the Year.

"Her efforts to preserve nesting sites for Big Bear Lake bald eagles and open space in the region including helping to save a rare pebble plain and a threatened paintbrush flower which is listed on the federal and the state endangered list, and only exists in Big Bear Valley."

The nomination added that Steers had established eco-tourism in the Valley, helping people understand that they can support the local economy by promoting and protecting the natural surroundings rather than destroying them for commercial gain.

The group also puts together educational programs for classrooms that teach children about wildlife and nature.

Steers began the Jackie and Shadow camera for the U.S. Forest Service. The first camera was installed in 2015, Friends of Big Bear Valley told USA TODAY. Steers had loved Jackie since the bird was a chick and wanted to know what was happening inside her nest.

"Her vision was to share it with others as a public benefit, free for all to see and connect with nature," the organization said. "She told amazing stories that helped people understand what was happening and relate to the trials, tribulations and successes felt by Jackie and Shadow in their daily lives."

What's happening with Jackie and Shadow this year?

Friends of Big Bear Valley shared on Jan. 30 in aFacebook postthat Jackie and Shadow had lost their eggs after a raven attack. The ordeal was caught on camera.

The pair might lay a 2nd clutch of eggs, the group said, since the eggs were laid early in the season.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Voice behind beloved Jackie and Shadow eagle cam dies

As the Pacific warms, there is a growing chance of neutral El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions this spring, according to the latest update from NOAA Thursday morning, with a better than 50% chance of El Niño returning this autumn, including the peak of hurricane season.

We are nearing the peak of the current La Niña, solidly in the moderate category as far as La Niñas go. This area of colder water is circled in red on the map below.

La Niña occurs when the ocean's surface temperatures in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific reach a specific cooler-than-average temperature. El Niño is the warming of the same area of the Pacific and has a different set of weather effects around the planet.

(MORE:Climate Change Threatens The Winter Olympics' Future)

Neutral conditions are the state between El Niño and La Niña, meaning the water in the Pacific is neither warmer nor cooler than average. This condition will be reached after near-average temperatures are sustained for a multi-month period, and will be indicated by the disappearance of blue colors on the map below in the circled area.

Here's what this forecast means for the next few months:

Impacts

Spring impacts:Years that have shifted from moderately (and relatively) chilly in the Pacific to average have featured some predictable temperature tweaks stateside from March to April.

• Cooler-than-average temperatures from the Northern Rockies to the interior Northeast.

• Reliably warmer than average temperatures in the Southeast and in the Southwest.

By May and June, the signal becomes much more mixed using these analogs, but that's not surprising as the jet stream, and its influence over the Lower 48, typically weakens. One of the meteorological features that ENSO has its hands in is the jet stream. Warming conditions in the Pacific (i.e. a slide toward neutral conditions) could also muddy any connections with weather in the U.S.

Summer impacts?El Niño and La Niña usually have their biggest impacts on the weather in winter, when they've been in place for several months. But if El Niño can develop fast enough, it could at least subtly affect both temperatures and rainfall in the U.S. this summer.

El Niño summers tend to be cooler in the East and Rockies and wetter in the Southeast.

From a global perspective, the defining warmth of an El Niño will give this summer a push toward the top of the warmest years on record.

(Further beef up your forecast with our detailed, hour-by-hour breakdown for the next 8 days – only available on ourPremium Pro experience.)

Quieter hurricane season ahead?In El Niño hurricane seasons, stronger shearing winds and sinking air often occur over at least the Caribbean Sea and some adjacent parts of the Atlantic Basin. This tends to limit the number and intensity of storms and hurricanes, especially if the El Niño is stronger.

El Niño isn't the only factor that can shape how a hurricane season goes. Bursts of dry air and sinking air or a lack of tropical waves are all other factors that can change how a season goes.

Forecast caveat you should know about:What lies beyond the springtime months is often highly uncertain.

That's because of what's known as aspring predictability barrier– a time of year when models struggle with accurate predictions.

Spring is a time when the ocean is more likely to be closer to average in the temperature department due to the shift out of the polarized summer and winter seasons in their respective hemispheres.

Winds across the equator are also often weaker during the spring because there's less temperature contrast in either hemisphere.

These factors make the signals that climatologists use to make forecasts more fuzzy, leading to a drop off in the accuracy of the forecasts.

Jonathan Belleshas been a digital meteorologist forweather.comfor 9 years and also assists in the production of videos for The Weather Channel en español. His favorite weather is tropical weather, but also enjoys covering high-impact weather and news stories and winter storms. He's a two-time graduate of Florida State University and a proud graduate of St. Petersburg College.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Noah Gragson was caught red-handed by NASCAR.

Gragson was the first driver busted during Daytona 500 qualifying for violating the new rule that specifies drivers are banned for sticking their hands out the opening of the window during the qualifying run.

Gragson's time in the No. 4 Ford for Front Row Motorsports was thrown out Wednesday because he used his left hand in an attempt to deflect air and gain an advantage on the track.

"I completely forgot about that rule so that one's on me," Gragson said. "Yeah, I feel like an idiot for that."

The 27-year-old Gragson did not advance to the second round of qualifying and lost his chance to race for the pole. The starting order for Sunday's Daytona 500 will be determined by a pair of Thursday night qualifying races.

"I feel like the Daytona 500 is such a long race, you can kind of start wherever," Gragson said. "It is what it is. I feel like an idiot for that. I'm dumb for that."

On the other hand, most in NASCAR found it hilarious.

"This is the most Noah thing ever," NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrote on social media. "Don't touch that stove, it's hot. Touches stove. Gets burnt. Says yes, it is hot."

Kyle Busch won the pole for the Daytona 500. Chase Briscoe, last year's pole-sitter, qualified second and got a good chuckle out of Gragson getting busted.

"He's my buddy, but I'm not surprised it was the guy that had it happen to him," Briscoe said. "I told my guys as soon as it happened, of all the people, I bet he didn't even remember it was a rule."

Teams believed that drivers could earn an aerodynamic advantage on superspeedways with the gesture before NASCAR made the call in the offseason to ban it.

"Sometimes you have a car that drives very easily, and you can do it easily and other times you have got your hands full and you can't do it," Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman said. "You always have an engineer telling you that you need to do it, exactly what position to put your hand in and all that. But I am glad that I can just keep two hands on the steering wheel for this one."

NASCAR suspended Gragson in 2023 and he parted ways with Legacy Motor Club liking an insensitive meme with a photo of George Floyd's face.

Gragson is winless in 111 career Cup races and will make his fifth Daytona 500 start.

"I don't care if I start last for this race," Gragson said. "I know that's probably not what people want to hear, but my best finish in Cup is third at Talladega and we qualified second-to-last. It's kind of crazy, but it is what it is here."

AP auto racing:https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Unrivaled's 1-on-1 tournamentwith its playground feel were on full display during the first round of action.

On Wednesday, 22 players went head-to-head in single-elimination games to see who would advance to the second round for a chance at the$300,000 prize pool. While there were several first-round upsets as the matchups unfolded, the most shocking game of the night was Mist guard Veronica Burton beating Breeze guard Courtney Williams, 11-0.

In just one minute and 23 seconds, Burton advanced, never giving Williams a chance to get the ball during the matchup's make-it-take-it style. A stunned Williams seemingly couldn't believe what happened.

"Wow Chat,"Williams said postame on X, "Not even getting the ball is crazyyyy."

Outside of the thrilling Williams-Burton matchup, threeNo.1 seeds, Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckersand Kelsey Mitchell, all moved on. Top players like Rose's Chelsea Gray and Mist's Arike Ogunbowale also punched their tickets to the next round.

Ahead of the second round, No.1 seed Allisha Gray and her matchup partner Vinyl's Saniya Rivers have advanced after Rose's Kahleah Copper and Breeze's Rickea Jackson opted not to participate in the tournament. Lunar Owls guard Skylar Diggins, Laces guard Jordin Canada and forward Alyssa Thomas also declined.

Digggins and Canada's decisions not to play advanced Phantom guard Kelsey Plum to face Hive guard Natisha Hiedeman in the second round. Phantom center Aliyah Boston also moves on after Thomas' replacement, Laeticia Amihere, dropped out of the tournament on Wednesday.

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Here's an updated look at the Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament bracket:

Unrivaled 1-on-1 Tournament first round results

Individual matchup winners are bolded.Results also include seed numbers in parentheses and the final score.

• (5) Veronica Burton vs (4) Courtney Williams; Final Score: 11-0

• (8) Rachel Banham vs (1) Kelsey Mitchell; Final Score: 12-3

• (5) Brittney Sykes vs (4) Arike Ogunbowale; Final Score:11-2

• (7) Natasha Cloud vs (2) Chelsea Gray; Final Score: 10-11

• (6) Aziaha James vs (3) Jackie Young; Final Score: 12-4

• (8) Kate Martin vs (1) Paige Bueckers; Final Score: 12-5

• (6) Sonia Citron vs (3) Marina Mabrey; Final Score: 12-10

• (7) Rae Burrell vs (2) Rhyne Howard; Final Score: 12-9

• (6) Shakira Austin vs (3) Dearica Hamby; Final Score: 12-10

• (7) Dominique Malonga vs (2) Aaliyah Edwards; Final Score: 11-8

• (8) Li Yueru vs (1) Breanna Stewart; Final Score: 11-6

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Unrivaled 1-on-1 bracket 2026: Burton blanks Williams, shocks fans