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FORTUNE BAY APPOINTS PATRICK MCGRATH AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

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Fortune Bay Corp. (TSXV: FOR,OTC:FTBYF) (FWB: 5QN) (OTCQB: FTBYF) (‘Fortune Bay’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick McGrath as Chief Financial Officer (‘CFO’). Mr. McGrath succeeds Sarah Oliver, who will be stepping aside after serving as CFO since 2016. Ms. Oliver will remain involved over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition.

Patrick McGrath – Experienced Resource-Sector Executive
Mr. McGrath is a seasoned finance executive with over 25 years of experience in the resource industry. He has held senior leadership roles in multiple public companies, most recently as Chief Executive Officer of Blue Moon Metals Inc. until November 2024, and previously as Chief Financial Officer and later Chief Executive Officer of Hemlo Mining Corp. until May 2023, then known as Carcetti Capital Corp., a former producing oil and gas company in Eastern Europe.

Mr. McGrath holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Memorial University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) in Canada. He brings extensive expertise in corporate finance, capital markets, and financial strategy, with a proven track record of supporting resource companies through exploration, development, and growth stages.

Leadership Transition
Ms. Oliver has played a key role in Fortune Bay’s financial stewardship for nearly a decade, ensuring strong compliance, reporting integrity, and fiscal discipline. Her contributions have been instrumental in positioning the Company with a solid financial foundation as it advances its gold project portfolio.

Dale Verran, CEO of Fortune Bay, commented, ‘On behalf of the Board and management team, I am delighted to welcome Patrick McGrath to Fortune Bay. Patrick’s depth of financial expertise and leadership experience will be invaluable as we advance our projects and pursue growth opportunities. I would also like to sincerely thank Sarah Oliver for her many years of dedicated service. Sarah has been a trusted steward of our financial operations and a valued member of our leadership team. We are grateful for her contributions and support through this transition.’

Patrick McGrath, incoming CFO, stated, ‘I am excited to be joining Fortune Bay at such a pivotal and exciting time for the Company. With a strong project portfolio, a clear growth strategy, and significant opportunities ahead, I look forward to contributing to Fortune Bay’s success and working with the team to deliver value for shareholders.’

About Fortune Bay
Fortune Bay Corp. (TSXV:FOR,OTC:FTBYF; FWB:5QN; OTCQB:FTBYF) is a gold exploration and development company advancing high-potential assets in Canada and Mexico. With a strategy focused on discovery, resource growth and early-stage development, the Company targets value creation at the steepest part of the Value Creation Curve. Its portfolio includes the development-ready Goldfields Project in Saskatchewan, the resource-expansion Poma Rosa Project in Mexico, and an optioned uranium portfolio in the Athabasca Basin providing non-dilutive capital and upside exposure. Backed by a technically proven team and tight capital structure, Fortune Bay is positioned for multiple near-term catalysts. For more information, visit www.fortunebaycorp.com or contact info@fortunebaycorp.com.

On behalf of Fortune Bay Corp.

‘Dale Verran’
Chief Executive Officer
902-334-1919

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management’s current estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. Words such as ‘expects’, ‘aims’, ‘anticipates’, ‘targets’, ‘goals’, ‘projects’, ‘intends’, ‘plans’, ‘believes’, ‘seeks’, ‘estimates’, ‘continues’, ‘may’, variations of such words, and similar expressions and references to future periods, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.

Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management’s expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Company’s objectives, goals, intentions or future plans, statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to failure to identify targets or mineralization, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, inability to fulfill the duty to accommodate First Nations and other indigenous peoples, inability to reach access agreements with other Project communities, amendments to applicable mining laws, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing or partnerships needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, and those risks set out in the Company’s public documents filed on SEDAR+. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. For more information on Fortune Bay, readers should refer to Fortune Bay’s website at www.fortunebaycorp.com. 

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Fortune Bay Corp.

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2025/04/c3529.html

News Provided by Canada Newswire via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Crypto Market Update: Strategy Faces MSCI Index Removal, SEC Freezes Ultra-Leveraged ETF Approvals

Investing 3 Mins Read

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Wednesday (December 3) as of 9:00 a.m. UTC.

Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ether and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

Bitcoin and Ether price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$92,758.95, up by 4.1 percent over 24 hours.

Bitcoin price performance, December 3, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

After Bitcoin stared the week with its largest single-day decline in a month, it rallied about 6.6 percent in 24 hours to reclaim US$93,000. This now marks Bitcoin’s highest intraday level in more than two weeks.

Despite the cryptocurrency’s rebound, analysts are still urging caution and advising investors to await clearer macro signals before fully re-entering higher-risk assets.

Ether (ETH) also regained ground and is currently priced at US$3,051.34, up 7.1 percent over 24 hours.

Altcoin price update

  • XRP (XRP) was priced at US$2.19, an increase of 4.6 percent over 24 hours.
  • Solana (SOL) was trading at US$142.17, up by 6.6 percent over 24 hours.

Today’s crypto news to know

Strategy faces possible removal from MSCI indexes

Michael Saylor’s Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) is in discussions with index provider MSCI as the company thinks about removing Strategy from major stock indexes, according to Reuters.

MSCI is considering cutting companies whose business model is to buy crypto. Strategy currently holds about 650,000 BTC and has relied on new debt and equity issuance to add to its holdings.

JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) estimates a removal could trigger up to US$8.8 billion in outflows if other index providers follow suit. Saylor said the company is participating in MSCI’s review process, but questioned the scale of possible selling projected by JPMorgan. A verdict is expected by January 15 of next year.

Sony partner launches stablecoin for Soneium

Startale Group has launched USDSC, a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar that is designed to serve as the default settlement currency on Sony Group’s (NYSE:SONY,TSE:6758) Soneium blockchain.

According to a Decrypt report, the launch includes a new rewards program called STAR Points that is geared at encouraging user activity across payments, liquidity supply and app interaction. Soneium went live earlier this year following a test phase that drew 14 million users and processed 50 million transactions.

Startale CEO Sota Watanabe said USDSC aims to support payments and yield generation across the network’s creator-focused ecosystem. Stablecoin infrastructure firm M0 is providing backend support for issuance and liquidity.

A waitlist for the Startale app is open to users seeking early access to USDSC features and rewards.

SEC blocks rollout of high-leverage ETFs

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has halted the approval process for multiple ultra-leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs), citing concerns about investor risk.

Warning letters were sent to nine issuers, including Direxion, ProShares and Tidal, affecting products designed to offer more than 2x exposure to equities, commodities and cryptocurrencies.

The SEC said the proposals exceed regulatory limits on allowable leverage and rely on benchmark definitions that may fail to reflect true market volatility. Some of the planned funds target exposure to highly volatile assets. No 3x or 5x single-stock ETFs currently exist in the US due to existing restrictions.

Leveraged ETF trading has surged since 2020, with total assets rising to around US$162 billion.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Gold Price Forecast: Top Trends for Gold in 2026

Investing 5 Mins Read

Gold has reached once-unthinkable prices in 2025, gaining over 60 percent by early December.

Looking ahead to 2026, experts believe the major themes that carried the gold price to new heights this year will continue to underwrite its trajectory in the months ahead, boosting the metal even further.

What are the top trends shaping the gold market, and what should investors expect in the new year?

Trade tensions to stoke ETF and central bank gold demand

US President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies have injected a high level of volatility into a world economy that was already reeling from ongoing regional conflicts.

This type of uncertainty reliably encourages investors to seek safe havens, and that theme dominated much of the gold story for 2025. Heading into the new year, analysts see no end to this trend.

Strong gold exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows and central bank purchases are projected to continue into next year as investors, particularly in the west, increasingly recognize the hedge value of gold.

Global financial services firm Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) sees demand for gold from ETFs and central banks pushing the gold price back up above US$4,500 per ounce by mid-2026.

The World Gold Council (WGC) also expects the themes of risk and uncertainty to continue driving gold.

“My sense is that we’re going to continue to see these challenges in 2026.”

Cavatoni expects this will translate into continued strong ETF flows and central bank demand for the monetary metal for 2026, although central bank buying may come at a slower pace than the past few years.

Gold as a hedge against potential AI stock bubble

Another potential 2026 tailwind for gold is a correction in artificial intelligence (AI) stocks.

Analysts are increasingly warning that this could happen, and it’s possible that AI bubble meltdown concerns may push more investors away from equities and into gold in the coming year.

Michael Hartnett, chief investment strategist at Bank of America Global Research, told his clients in late October that gold may be one of the strongest hedges if the AI bubble bursts.

Similarly, Macquarie analysts are warning that if AI tech firms and their clients can’t demonstrate a return on their huge investments in the emerging technology, gold may be the best bet for protection against the resulting market fallout: “Optimists buy tech, pessimists buy gold, hedgers buy both.’

Weak US dollar, low interest rates price positive for gold

The gold price has an inverse relationship with the US dollar and real interest rates. Indeed, Morgan Stanley’s US$4,500 gold forecast for mid-2026 is predicated on a weaker dollar and lower rates.

Lower rates typically weaken the dollar, and Trump has been pressuring the US Federal Reserve to drop rates since taking office. With Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s term due to end next year, market watchers are anticipating that a more dovish Fed head will take the helm. This means that more rate cuts are likely on the table for 2026.

A softer dollar and a low rate environment would provide foundational support for further gold price gains. The resulting inflation is expected to push the Fed toward quantitative easing (QE), or the purchasing of government bonds to increase money supply and lower long-term rates, which would further bolster the yellow metal’s appeal.

At its October policy meeting, the Fed stated that its quantitative tightening activities (allowing bonds to mature without reinvesting the proceeds) would end on December 1.

“Frankly … interest expense for the federal government is running at US$1.2 trillion a year (and) the budget deficit is US$1.8 trillion a year, so the interest is really contributing to the deficit,” he said. “The US federal government really needs lower rates, or else interest is going to continue to consume a big piece of their revenues.”

Lepard believes investors are keenly aware that lower rates are coming, which naturally means more inflation. This realization is enhancing gold’s investment appeal.

Gold price forecasts for 2026

Heading into 2026, Fed monetary policy changes are likely to give gold another boost to the upside.

“As we move through the year, as the Federal Reserve transitions to QE and maybe yield curve control and money printing, the (precious) metals themselves will catch another leg up,” said Lepard.

“Gold will go through US$4,500 toward US$5,000, silver will go to US$60 or US$70 and (gold and silver) stocks will all go up another 30 percent pretty easily, and then maybe more over the next 12 months,’ he added.

Global financial services provider B2PRIME Group also sees gold’s average price in 2026 at around US$4,500 as US debt challenges and possible Fed rate cuts continue to bolster the value of the precious metal.

Overall, most analysts’ gold price predictions for the upcoming year are in the US$4,500 to US$5,000 range.

Metals Focus is forecasting an annual average high of US$4,560 in 2026, with gold potentially reaching a record US$4,850 in the fourth quarter. The firm sees these gains materializing despite a projected gold surplus of 41.9 million ounces in 2026, up 28 percent year-on-year; that would take mine production to another record high in 2026.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) is predicting that gold could reach as high as US$4,900 next year on increased central bank buying and anticipated inflation-causing interest rate cuts by the Fed.

For its part, Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) sees the yellow metal breaching US$5,000 in 2026 on growing deficit spending in the US and Trump’s ‘unorthodox macro policies.’

Investor takeaway

Ongoing uncertainty from trade tensions, a potential market correction in the AI sector, US debt challenges and anticipated shifts in Fed policy have fueled strong investment demand for gold as a safe-haven asset.

Those demand drivers are not going away in 2026; in fact, they are likely to provide further foundational support that could propel the gold price to new record highs.

Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Sankamap Updates Status on Late Filing of Financial Statements; Extends MCTO

Investing 6 Mins Read

Sankamap Metals Inc. (CSE: SCU) (‘Sankamap’ or the ‘Company’) further to the Company’s news releases dated October 21, 2025, November 4, 2025, and November 18, 2025, the Company continues to work towards the filing of its annual audited financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 (the ‘Required Filings’). The Company has obtained approval from the Alberta Securities Commission to extend the Management Cease Trade Order (‘MCTO’) under National Policy 12-203 Management Cease Trade Orders (‘NP 12-203’) until December 28, 2025.

While the audit of Sankamap’s private subsidiary has now been completed, timing adjustments in the subsidiary’s audit resulted in a brief postponement of fieldwork and the review of Sankamap’s audit file. The upcoming holiday period is also expected to affect scheduling. To support timely completion of the audit, the Company intends to appoint the subsidiary’s auditor as its auditor, as their familiarity with the Company’s mineral property and the Solomon Islands jurisdiction is expected to facilitate an expedited process. A change of auditor is underway, and the Company expects to file the required change of auditor documentation shortly.

The Required Filings were due to be filed by October 28, 2025. In connection with the anticipated delays in making the Required Filings, the Company made an application for a Management Cease Trade Order (‘MCTO‘) under National Policy 12-203 Management Cease Trade Orders (‘NP 12-203‘) to the Alberta Securities Commission, as principal regulator for the Company, and the MCTO was issued on October 29, 2025. The MCTO restricts all trading by the Company’s CEO and CFO in securities of the Company, whether direct or indirect. The issuance of the MCTO will not affect the ability of persons who are not directors, officers or insiders of the Company to trade their securities. The MCTO will remain in effect until the Required Filings are filed or until it is revoked or varied.

The Company expects to proceed with the filing of its interim first-quarter financial statements shortly after the Required Filings have been completed and submitted.

The Company confirms that it intends to satisfy the provisions of the alternative information guidelines described in NP 12-203 by issuing bi-weekly default status reports in the form of a news release until it meets the Required Filings requirement. The Company has not taken any steps towards any insolvency proceeding and the Company has no material information relating to its affairs that has not been generally disclosed.

About Sankamap Metals Inc.

Sankamap Metals Inc. (CSE: SCU) is a Canadian mineral exploration company dedicated to the discovery and development of high-grade copper and gold deposits through its flagship Oceania Project, located in the South Pacific. The Company’s fully permitted assets are strategically positioned in the Solomon Islands, along a prolific geological trend that hosts major copper-gold deposits; including Newcrest’s Lihir Mine, with a resource of 71.9 million ounces of gold¹ (310 Mt containing 23 Moz Au at 2.3 g/t P+P, 520 Mt containing 39 Moz Au at 2.3 g/t indicated, 81 Mt containing 5 Moz Au at 1.9 g/t measured, 61 Mt containing 4.9 Moz Au at 2.3 g/t Inferred).

Exploration is actively advancing at both the Kuma and Fauro properties, part of Sankamap’s Oceania Project in the Solomon Islands. Historical work has already highlighted the mineral potential of both sites, which lie along a highly prospective copper and gold-bearing trend, suggesting the possibility of further, yet-to-be-discovered deposits.

At Kuma, the property is believed to host an underexplored and largely untested porphyry copper-gold (Cu-Au) system. Historical rock chip sampling has returned consistently elevated gold values above 0.5 g/t Au, including a standout sample assaying 11.7% Cu and 13.5 g/t Au2; underscoring the area’s significant potential.

At Fauro, particularly at the Meriguna Target, historical trenching has returned highly encouraging results, including 8.0 meters at 27.95 g/t Au and 14.0 meters at 8.94 g/t Au3. Complementing these results are exceptional grab sample assays, including historical values of up to 173 g/t Au3, along with recent sampling by Sankamap at the Kiovakase Target, which returned numerous high-grade copper values, reaching up to 4.09% Cu. In addition, limited historical shallow drilling intersected 35.0 meters at 2.08 g/t Au3, further underscoring the property’s strong mineral potential and the merit for continued exploration. With a commitment to systematic exploration and a team of experienced professionals, Sankamap aims to unlock the untapped potential of underexplored regions and create substantial value for its shareholders. For more information, please refer to SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), under Sankamap’s profile.

1.Newcrest Technical Report, 2020 (Lihir: 310 Mt containing 23 Moz Au at 2.3 g/t P+P, 520 Mt containing 39 Moz Au at 2.3 g/t indicated, 81 Mt containing 5 Moz Au at 1.9 g/t measured, 61 Mt containing 4.9 Moz Au at 2.3 g/t Inferred)

2. Historical grab, soil and BLEG samples from SolGold Kuma Review June 2015, and SolGold plc Annual Report 2013/2012

3. September 2010-June 2012 press releases from Solomon Gold Ltd. and SolGold Fauro Island Summary Technical Info 2012

QP Disclosure

The technical content for the Oceania Project in this news release has been reviewed and approved by John Florek, M.Sc., P.Geol., a Qualified Person in accordance with CIM guidelines. Mr. John Florek is in good standing with the Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (Member ID:1228) and a director and officer of the Company.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

s/ ‘John Florek’
John Florek, M.Sc., P.Geol
Chief Executive Officer
Sankamap Metals Inc.

Contact:
John Florek, CEO
T: (807) 228-3531
E: johnf@sankamap.com

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not approved nor disapproved this press release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made and information contained herein may constitute ‘forward-looking information’ and ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to Sankamap and there is no assurance that the actual results will meet management’s expectations. Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as ‘anticipates,’ ‘believes,’ ‘targets,’ ‘estimates,’ ‘plans,’ ‘expects,’ ‘may,’ ‘will,’ ‘could’ or ‘would.’

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements regarding management’s expectations about obtaining the MCTO and completing the Required Filings within the anticipated timeline. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Sankamap does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements or information, except as required by applicable securities laws. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company’s continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/276869

News Provided by Newsfile via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Antetokounmpo rumors: Will Giannis be traded this season?

Sport 3 Mins Read

The NBA season is well underway and the Milwaukee Bucks are limping into the middle of the season. Sure, star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been sidelined with a groin injury, but if the rumor mill is to be believed, the team could be without him again rather soon.

Sitting at 9-13, Bucks could be forced to face an unfortunate reality this season: the Greek Freak might leave town. On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Antetokounmpo scrubbed his social media profiles clean of almost all references to the Bucks. While ESPN’s Shams Charania has reported that Antetokounmpo and his agent are in talks with the Bucks regarding his future with the club, that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating where Antetokounmpo could land in a potential trade. After all, Charania also reported that they believe the Antetokounmpo situation will resolve itself within the next few weeks.

Here are the latest rumors regarding Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee:

What do we know about the Antetokounmpo situation?

We know that Antetokounmpo was unhappy with the Bucks’ organization. He deleted all mentions of the Bucks from his social media pages on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

Futhermore, a recent interview with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst revealed that Antetokounmpo had asked to be traded to the New York Knicks during the most recent offseason.

However, Windhorst also assured listeners that Giannis was not moved and that the team has no plans to move him.

Antetokounmpo is signed with Milwaukee through the 2027-28 season, but Windhorst seems confident that Antetokounmpo could be moved before the start of next season.

Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Wednesday that Antetokounmpo has not requested a trade.

‘There have been no conversations,’ Rivers said. ‘I want to make it clear for, I would say one more time, but for the 50th time it clearly is not getting to one network … Giannis has never asked to be traded. Ever. I can’t make that more clear.’

Possible destinations for Antetokounmpo

The New York Knicks are the obvious destination. Windhorst mentioned that Antetokounmpo had asked to be traded there during the offseason.

  • Brooklyn Nets: lots of draft capital to trade
  • San Antonio Spurs: win-now mode
  • Houston Rockets: young talent to trade
  • Atlanta Hawks: young talent to trade
  • Los Angeles Lakers: win-now mode

Latest Antetokounmpo trade rumors

Outside of his interest in the Knicks, very little is known about Antetokounmpo’s potential suitors, but it is likely every team will at least touch base with the Bucks regarding the future Hall of Famer.

Other outlets have pointed at the Houston Rockets as a team that could provide the best possible NBA-ready talent, with players such as Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and/or Jabari Smith Jr. (although his poison pill contract would make that difficult). Although the Rockets went out of their way to build a team centered around offseason acquisition Kevin Durant, a pairing with Antetokounmpo would obviously be a massive addition for a team looking to compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Still, reports have yet to emerge detailing Houston’s potential interest in The Greek Freak.

That said, the decision might ultimately come down to Antetokounmpo himself. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Bucks might not make Antetokounmpo available to the entire league, instead opting to let Antetokounmpo pick a team with whom the organization will eventually work out a deal with. If that is the case, it might be only a matter of time before we see Antetokounmpo in Knickerbocker orange.

When is the NBA trade deadline?

This season’s trade deadline is set for Thursday, Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. ET.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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Freegold Intersects 1.53 g/t Au over 191.3m in infill drilling at Golden Summit

Investing 9 Mins Read

Highlight Drill Results:

GS2508

1.05 g/t Au over 120.7 m in the Cleary Zone

GS2528

1.78 g/t Au over 61 m in the Cleary Zone

GS2531

1.53 g/t Au over 191.3 m in the Dolphin Zone

Note: The reported widths refer to drill hole intercepts; true width cannot be determined due to the uncertain geometry of mineralization.

VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 4, 2025 /CNW/ – Freegold Ventures Limited (TSX: FVL,OTC:FGOVF) (OTCQX: FGOVF) announces results from six additional drill holes at the Golden Summit project. In 2025, a total of 62 holes were drilled, with assay results for 29 holes reported to date. Reporting assay results will continue in the coming months. The results from the 2025 and first half of 2026 drilling programs will be used to update the mineral resource estimate (MRE) published in July 2025, which reported 17.2 million ounces at 1.24 g/t Au indicated and 11.9 million ounces at 1.04 g/t Au inferred. The updated MRE and subsequent drilling in 2026 will serve as the basis for the Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS), scheduled for completion in early 2027. In addition to the extensive drill program, a range of other activities supporting the PFS are in progress. These include cultural resource assessments, paleontology, groundwater studies, power supply analysis, mammal habitat evaluations, and continuing metallurgical test work.

2025 Program Overview
The 2025 drilling program has been highly successful, focusing on the Cleary, Dolphin, and WOW zones. Efforts have centered on infill drilling to support the PFS, refining both geological and resource models, and developing a conceptual higher-grade starter pit targeting 5-10 million ounces to enhance the project’s early economic potential. Mineralization remains open both to the east and west of the current deposit.

Kristina Walcott, President and CEO of Freegold, commented, ‘The potential scale of this deposit is truly amazing. Our current exploration efforts focused on defining an area to host an attractive potential starter pit, as we continue to move the project forward through PFS’.  Further infill drilling in early 2026 is expected to refine this area further.

Metallurgical Test Work
Metallurgical testing continues to evaluate the most viable process flowsheets for Golden Summit material. Gold recovery rates exceeding 90% have been achieved using a flowsheet that includes gravity concentration, flotation to produce a cleaner concentrate, and subsequent treatment with sulphide-oxidizing techniques such as BIOX®, POX, and the Albion Process, producing feed for carbon-in-leach (CIL) for additional gold recovery.  Simple gravity and CIL are also being evaluated. This testwork is crucial to maximize the resource’s potential and will underpin the many trade-off scenarios to be evaluated during the Pre-Feasibility stage.

Current Drilling Status
Five drill rigs are currently completing the final holes of the season. Drilling will gradually wind down for a seasonal break and resume in February 2026.

Dolphin Zone: Higher-Grade Potential
Recent drilling in the Dolphin zone confirms strong, continuous mineralization, with broad intercepts of higher grades. The near-surface intercept in GS2531 indicates promising potential for higher grades, supporting the concept of a potential higher-grade starter area.

At depth, hole GS2531 shows excellent correlation with the current model, with an intercept of 1.53 g/t Au over 191.3m within the modelled higher-grade schist domain. This corridor remains open to the southwest and extends into the intrusive domain at depth. Hole GS2542, drilled 200 m south of GS2531, aims to extend the zone downdip, with assays pending.  Several other holes are planned for this potential higher-grade domain in 2026, as it may serve as the economic keel for a potential starter pit.

Hole

Depth (m)

Dip (°)

Azimuth (°)

From (m)

To (m)

Interval (m)

Au (g/t)

GS2515

602.5

-80

360

84.4

99.7

15.3

3.00

142.3

147.5

5.2

0.81

175.3

181.7

6.4

13.53

227.9

232.8

4.9

3.06

303.9

313.0

9.1

1.71

396.2

416.6

20.4

0.79

GS2531

703.2

-90

360

35.6

38.7

3.1

9.33

53.9

62.7

8.8

2.05

81.4

83.8

2.4

9.51

102.4

143.5

41.1

1.06

330.3

361.5

31.2

0.87

386.2

577.5

191.3

1.53

Note: The reported widths refer to drill hole intercepts; true width cannot be determined due to the uncertain geometry of mineralization.

GS2515, drilled in the northern Dolphin Zone, intersected higher-grade mineralization with 3.0 g/t Au over 15.3m from 84.4 m, 13.53 g/t over 6.4m from 175.3m, and 3.06 g/t Au over 4.9m from 227.9 m. Like GS2531, located 250m to the south, GS2515’s higher-grade, closer-to-surface intercepts provide further encouragement for the development of a potential starter pit. Planned shallow infill drilling in 2026 will further target these areas.

Cleary Zone: Drilling Results Continuing to demonstrate strong correlation with resource model
Infill drilling within the Cleary Zone continues to demonstrate a strong correlation with the current resource model. Hole GS2508 returned 1.05 g/t Au over 120.7m, while hole GS2528 encountered four intervals with higher grades and widths, notably 1.6 g/t Au over 57.9m and 1.78 g/t Au over 61m, as well as two narrower, higher-grade sections. Hole GS2517, designated for hydrological investigation targeted the potential higher-grade downdip extent, was abandoned due to challenging ground conditions and complications arising from the attempted installation of a vibrating Wire Piezometer (VWP). VPWs are being installed to monitor groundwater levels throughout the prospective pit area, capturing both vertical and horizontal gradients to inform analyses of possible fault-block compartmentalization and support ongoing groundwater monitoring efforts. Eight installations were completed during 2025. A follow-up vertical hole, GS2549, was drilled from the same collar as GS2517 to access the target zone; assay results are pending.

Hole

Depth (m)

Dip (°)

Azimuth (°)

From (m)

To (m)

Interval (m)

Au (g/t)

GS2508

502

-75

360

224.6

345.3

120.7

1.05

364.8

373.7

8.9

0.91

GS2517*

593.4

-75

360

477.6

546.5

68.9

0.64

GS2524

413.3

-90

0

17.4

23.5

6.1

1.34

141.7

148.4

6.7

1.12

203.3

209.4

6.1

3.36

GS2528

721.2

-90

0

86.0

102.7

16.7

0.98

325.2

328.3

3.1

35.09

416.7

474.6

57.9

1.60

514.2

544.1

29.9

0.70

559.9

620.9

61.0

1.78

670.6

672.7

2.1

35.65

Note: The reported widths refer to drill hole intercepts; true width cannot be determined due to the uncertain geometry of mineralization. *Hole GS2517 was drilled for both infill and hydrogeological purposes.

Metallurgical Update: Environmental Characterization – Non-Acid-Generating Tailings
Recent metallurgical work results have also shown more positive developments. Tailings from the locked-cycle flotation tests were analyzed for environmental characterization, including Acid Base Accounting (ABA) and Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedures (TCLP). Tailings from the flotation-based flowsheet have been classified as low risk for acid generation due to the removal of sulphur and the presence of significant amounts of calcium carbonate. Gravity tailings from the CIL leach scenario also showed arsenic levels below acceptable limits. More specifically, results showed the Neutralization Potential to Acid Generating Potential ratio (NPR) of the flotation tailings was significantly above what is typically classified as non-acid generating.

About Golden Summit
Since 2020, the Golden Summit project has emerged as one of North America’s largest undeveloped gold resources. The increase in resource ounces and grade is attributed to targeted drilling campaigns (over 130,000 metres from 2020 to 2024), improvements to geological models, and a better understanding of mineralization controls. Positive metallurgical test results have further advanced the project. Ongoing drilling continues to delineate zones of higher-grade mineralization, converting previously considered waste areas into potentially economically viable zones.  Continued westward expansion has led to the discovery of new, higher-grade zones.

As of July 2025, the Golden Summit resource includes an Indicated Primary Mineral Resource of 17.2 million ounces at 1.24 g/t Au and an Inferred Primary Mineral Resource of 11.9 million ounces at 1.04 g/t Au, calculated using a 0.5 g/t cut-off grade and a three-year trailing average gold price of $2,490.

Drilling will continue into 2026, with upcoming results expected to support an updated resource estimate. A significant number of assay results remain pending.

Links to the Plan Map and Section 470505E

https://freegoldventures.com/site/assets/files/6287/nr-2025-drilling-20251204.jpeg

https://freegoldventures.com/site/assets/files/6287/e479050_section_04122025.pdf

QA/QC
HQ Core is logged, photographed and cut in half using a diamond saw. One half is placed in sealed bags for preparation and subsequent geochemical analysis by MSA Laboratories in Fairbanks, Alaska or ALS’s facilities in Vancouver and Thunder Bay.  At MSALABS, the entire sample will be dried and crushed to 70% passing -2mm (CRU-CPA). A ~500g riffle split was analyzed for gold using CHRYSOS PhotonAssay (CPA-Au1). From this, 250g will be further riffle-split from the original PhotonAssay sample, pulverized, and a 0.25g sub-sample analyzed for multi-element geochemistry using MSA’s IMS230 package, which includes 4-acid digestion and ICP-MS finish. MSALABS operates under ISO/IEC 17025- and ISO 9001-certified quality systems.

Core samples were delivered to ALS’s facility in Vancouver, Canada, where each sample was crushed to 70% passing a 2 mm (Tyler 9 mesh, U.S. Std. No. 10) screen.  A representative ~500 g subsample was obtained by riffle splitting (SPL-32a) and analyzed for gold using the ALS method Au-PA01 (Photon Assay), which provides a detection range of 0.03 to 350 ppm, in Thunder Bay.

In addition, a subsample was analyzed for multi-element geochemistry using the ALS method ME-ICP61 (34-element, four-acid ICP-AES).

A QA/QC program includes laboratory and field standards inserted in every ten samples. Blanks are inserted at the start of the submittal, and at least one blank every 25 standards.

The Qualified Person for this release is Alvin Jackson, P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration and Development for Freegold, who has approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release.

About Freegold Ventures Limited
Freegold is a TSX-listed company focused on exploration in Alaska.

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information, including, without limitation, statements as to planned expenditures and exploration programs, potential mineralization and resources, exploration results, the completion of an updated NI 43-101 technical report, and any other future plans. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, the completion of planned expenditures, the ability to complete exploration programs on schedule, and the success of exploration programs. See Freegold’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31st, 2024, filed under Freegold’s profile at www.sedar.com, for a detailed discussion of the risk factors associated with Freegold’s operations.

SOURCE Freegold Ventures Limited

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2025/04/c4300.html

News Provided by Canada Newswire via QuoteMedia

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2025 NCAA volleyball tournament: Bracket, schedule, how to watch

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The seeds are set, now its time to get the NCAA Division I volleyball tournament started. The first round will take place Thursday, Dec. 4, and Friday, Dec. 5, at school sites across the country.

Sixty-four teams are vying for the title with the No. 1 overall seed going to undefeated Nebraska, which is 30-0. The Cornhuskers, who are in their first season under coach Dani Busboom Kelly, won the last of their five national titles in 2017.

Kentucky, Texas, and Pitt are the other No. 1 seeds. The Wildcats have lost two matches, the Longhorns three and the Panthers four this season.

Defending champion Penn State finished 18-12 and is a No. 8 seed in the Austin region. The Nittany Lions face South Florida (17-12) in the first round on Friday.

The 2025 NCAA volleyball Final Four will be held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. It’s the third time since 2010 that the venue, formerly known as the Sprint Center, has hosted the volleyball national championship.

Here’s everything you need to know about the NCAA volleyball tournament:

How to watch NCAA volleyball tournament

  • Streaming: ESPN+ ∣ Fubo (free trial)

The 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament will air across the ESPN and ABC family of networks. All first- and second-round games can be found streaming on ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service, and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Watch the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament live with Fubo (free trial)

What time is NCAA volleyball tournament?

  • Date: Thursday, Dec. 4 and Friday, Dec. 5
  • Start time: 32 matches, beginning at 3 p.m. ET Thursday. The last match starts at 10 p.m. ET Friday. Match-by-match times below.

NCAA volleyball first-round matchups, game times

Lexington bracket

  • No. 1 Kentucky (25-2) vs. Wofford (17-13), 7 p.m. ET, Thursday
  • No. 8 UCLA (18-12) vs. Georgia Tech (16-13), 4:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
  • No. 5 BYU (22-8) vs. Cal Poly (25-7), 8 p.m. ET, Thursday
  • No. 4 USC (24-6) vs. Princeton (18-6), 10:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
  • No. 3 Creighton (25-5) vs. Northern Colorado (17-15), 8 p.m. ET, Thursday
  • No. 6 Northern Iowa (25-5) vs. Utah (15-14), 5:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
  • No. 7 Tennessee (20-7) vs. Utah State (23-7), 6:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
  • No. 2 Arizona State (26-3) vs. Coppin State (23-11), 9 p.m. ET, Thursday

Austin bracket

  • No. 1 Texas (23-3) vs. Florida A&M (14-16), 8 p.m. ET, Friday
  • No. 8 Penn State (18-12) vs. South Florida (17-12), 5:30 p.m. ET, Friday
  • No. 5 Colorado (22-8) vs. American (24-4), 3 p.m. ET, Thursday
  • No. 4 Indiana (23-7) vs. Toledo (23-10), 5:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
  • No. 3 Wisconsin (24-4) vs. Eastern Illinois (24-7), 8 p.m. ET, Thursday
  • No. 6 UTEP (25-4) vs. North Carolina (21-8), 5:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
  • No. 7 South Dakota State (23-4) vs. Arizona (16-12), 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday
  • No. 2 Stanford (27-4) vs. Utah Valley (16-10), 10 p.m. ET, Friday

Pittsburgh bracket

  • No. 1 Pitt (26-4) vs. UMBC (13-11), 6:30 p.m. ET, Friday
  • No. 8 Xavier (26-4) vs. Michigan (21-10), 4 p.m. ET, Friday
  • No. 5 Iowa State (22-7) vs. St. Thomas (21-9), 5:30 p.m. ET, Friday
  • No. 4 Minnesota (22-9) vs. Fairfield (25-5), 8 p.m. ET, Friday
  • No. 3 Purdue (24-6) vs. Wright State (21-10), 7 p.m. ET, Thursday
  • No. 6 Baylor (17-9) vs. Arkansas State (22-8), 4:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
  • No. 7 Rice (21-9) vs. Florida (15-11), 5 p.m. ET, Friday
  • No. 2 SMU (25-5) vs. Central Arkansas (18-11), 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday

Lincoln bracket

  • No. 1 Nebraska (30-0) vs. LIU (20-8), 8 p.m. ET, Friday
  • No. 8 San Diego (25-4) vs. Kansas State (17-3), 5:30 p.m. ET, Friday
  • No. 5 Miami (26-5) vs. Tulsa (25-6), 5 p.m. ET, Thursday
  • No. 4 Kansas (22-10) vs. High Point (18-9), 7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
  • No. 3 Texas A&M (23-4) vs. Campbell (23-6), 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday
  • No. 6 TCU (20-10) vs. Stephen F. Austin (23-7), 5 p.m. ET, Friday
  • No. 7 Western Kentucky (27-5) vs. Marquette (17-10), 4 p.m. ET, Friday
  • No. 2 Louisville (24-6) vs. Loyola Chicago (17-15), 6:30 p.m. ET, Friday

NCAA volleyball tournament rounds

  • Second round: Dec. 5-6
  • Regionals: Dec. 11 and 13 or Dec. 12 and 14
  • Semifinals: Thursday, Dec. 18
  • National championship: 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 21

All games on ESPN Unlimited, ESPN, ABC

NCAA volleyball tournament automatic qualifiers

Here’s a look at the 31 teams that earned automatic berths to the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament by virtue of winning their conferences:

  • ACC: Stanford
  • American: Tulsa
  • American East: UMBC
  • Atlantic Sun: Central Arkansas
  • Atlantic 10: Loyola Chicago
  • Big East: Creighton
  • Big Sky: Northern Colorado
  • Big South: High Point
  • Big Ten: Nebraska
  • Big 12: Arizona State
  • Big West: Cal Poly
  • CAA: Campbell
  • Conference USA: Western Kentucky
  • Horizon: Wright State
  • Ivy: Princeton
  • MAAC: Fairfield
  • MAC: Toledo
  • MEAC: Coppin State
  • Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa
  • Mountain West: Utah State
  • NEC: LIU
  • Ohio Valley: Eastern Illinois
  • Patriot: American
  • SEC: Kentucky
  • SoCon: Wofford
  • Southland: Stephen F. Austin
  • SWAC: Florida A&M
  • Summit: St. Thomas
  • Sun Belt: Arkansas State
  • WAC: Utah Valley
  • WCC: San Diego

When is the NCAA volleyball Final Four in 2025?

  • Dates: Thursday, Dec. 18 and Sunday, Dec. 21

The two semifinal matches in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament will take place on Thursday, Dec. 18 and will be followed three days later by the national championship game on Sunday, Dec. 21.

NCAA volleyball tournament champions

Penn State is the reigning NCAA volleyball champion, having defeated Louisville in four sets last year in the national title game. It was the Nittany Lions’ eighth volleyball championship since 1999.

Here’s a look at the past 10 NCAA volleyball champions:

  • 2024: Penn State
  • 2023: Texas
  • 2022: Texas
  • 2021: Wisconsin
  • 2020: Kentucky
  • 2019: Stanford
  • 2018: Stanford
  • 2017: Nebraska
  • 2016: Stanford
  • 2015: Nebraska

For the full list of champions, click here.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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Deion Sanders’ small recruiting class at Colorado ranks last in Big 12

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  • Colorado coach Deion Sanders signed a small high school recruiting class, ranking near the bottom of the Big 12.
  • Sanders defends his strategy of relying on the transfer portal over traditional high school recruiting.
  • Critics argue this approach hinders team chemistry and long-term development after a 3-9 season in 2025.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders signed only nine high school players to his 2026 recruiting class Wednesday after some top recruits withdrew their commitment to play for him recently — dropping the Buffaloes to 16th out of 16 teams in the Big 12 Conference, according to the recruiting rankings of 247Sports’ and On3, as of Dec. 3.

But signing such a small freshman class is all part of Sanders’ plan, according to him. He doesn’t make off-campus visits to high school recruits and was a pioneer in college football for relying on transfer players instead.

The question is whether this is the right strategy after his team finished 3-9 in 2025. Should he focus more on developing high school players and getting them to stick around in Boulder? Or is his strategy still sensible since players can transfer to a new school every year if they’re not happy with their playing time or compensation?

The debate rages on at the start of the football signing period on Dec. 3.

“Just to go into the (transfer) portal, it becomes like trying to build through free agency,’ former Colorado and NFL linebacker Chad Brown told USA TODAY Sports recently. ‘You can get it done in spots if you’ve got a hole that you need filled, but home-grown talent is always going to be the best to coach up and get up to speed with your offense and defense. 

‘If every year you’re trying to build a new team, you can’t ever get to layer two in your playbook. You’re always operating on the surface, and then these guys don’t get the chance to come together as a team.”

Deion Sanders sees it differently

The high school recruiting class Sanders signed included four-star defensive back Preston Ashley and four-star linebacker Carson Crawford. Colorado still could sign more players in the next day or two and move up in the subjective rankings after confirming nine high school signees as of Dec. 3, plus Ventura College defensive lineman Domata Peko Jr., son of the Colorado assistant coach and former NFL star.

But these signings are only a precursor to his bigger roster moves coming when the transfer portal opens Jan. 2. That’s when Sanders will bring in players from other colleges, many of them backups looking for better playing time or income opportunities. Sanders pioneered the portal-heavy strategy during his first year in 2023, when he brought in 47 scholarship transfer players from other four-year colleges to fill a roster limited to 85 scholarship players.

“You want about 15 to 17 high school kids,” Sanders said at a news conference last week in Boulder.  “Why do you say that, coach?’ Well, check the statistics. You get 30. Are they gonna be here in two years? Statistically, check the statistics.”

USA TODAY Sports checked the statistics: He’s signed 43 total high school scholarship recruits during his first three seasons at Colorado, an average of 14 per year, compared to the 25 or 30 that some schools sign. Only 21 of those 43 were still on Colorado’s roster at the end of the 2025 season. The rest transferred out already or left for other reasons.

One was freshman four-star linebacker Mantrez Walker, who signed with Colorado out of high school last year and recently announced his decision to transfer out.

“In Mantrez’s case, he had a situation where his playing time was pretty limited this season and there were opportunities that he believes are going to be a better fit,” said Jacob Piasecki, co-founder of A&P Sports, the agency that represented Walker’s name, image and likeness (NIL) interests for compensation.

Piasecki told USA TODAY Sports it was more about Colorado’s plan for him, not NIL money, per se, but playing time and money are intertwined. “There’s definitely a correlation between how much they pay you and how much they play you,” Piasecki told USA TODAY Sports.

Why didn’t Deion Sanders’ recruiting strategy work in 2025?

Sanders said he mostly “hit” on his high school recruits but missed on his transfer portal recruits. His most high-profile transfer recruit last year was former Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter, whose record as a starter for Colorado was 3-6 in 2025.

In previous years, Colorado “hit” on transfer recruits that included his quarterback son Shedeur (Jackson State), Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter (Jackson State), receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. (South Florida) and receiver LaJohntay Wester (Florida Atlantic). All four were drafted into the NFL in April after leading the Buffaloes to a 9-4 season in 2024.

“Nowadays, if kids aren’t playing by that spring of that second go-round, they out — they jump in the portal,” Deion Sanders said. “You got to figure out the strategy. What do you want to go? How do you want to get it? The strategy a year ago was the same strategy it was last year. And you hit on your portal guys. You hit on your freshman guys. This year, you hit on your freshmen, to me, some of them. And you missed on your portal. So that’s why we’ sitting where we sit. It’s not like you didn’t have a strategic plan. No, you had a strategic plan. You missed. Sometimes it happens. And I’m going to take responsibility. I’m not going to say we missed. I missed.”

The risk of Deion Sanders’ strategy

Sanders’ teams have been up and down since his arrival: a 3-0 start in 2023 followed by a 1-8 finish, then 9-4 in 2024, followed by five straight losses to end the 2025 season at 3-9. It’s arguable that trait is a symptom of the roster churn, with so many new players every year who have no prior chemistry.

By contrast, several top teams today were expected to sign around 25 to 30 high school recruits this week, including Southern California, Georgia and Ohio State. Those schools just hope they can hang on to those players beyond next year.

In Colorado’s case, Sanders also hopes to hang on to his own former high school recruits, including standout offensive tackle Jordan Seaton and quarterback Julian Lewis. Lewis has said he’s staying after redshirting in 2025. Seaton’s future isn’t clear.

“Buffs could have consistently brought in great players from the high school level, but instead, just don’t,” On3 recruiting analyst Josh Newberg recently said on social media site X.  “You’re not finding Jordan Seaton-type players in the portal.”

But Sanders did find NFL-caliber players in the portal before. In 2025, his best defensive player was safety Tawfiq Byard, a transfer from South Florida who led the team in tackles (84). He has two more years of college eligibility but could jump in the portal Jan. 2 just like the rest after the NCAA allowed unrestricted annual player transfers last year.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

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How did this team survive early signing day without a coach?

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Firing a coach in-season isn’t ideal — for many reasons. It means your season has gone south and likely your recruiting class with it. How do you retain commits and continue to recruit with so much uncertainty?

Just look at Penn State.

The Nittany Lions still have no coach after firing James Franklin in mid-October. And so when the early signing period opened Wednesday, Dec. 3, Penn State added just two players — putting their class at 150th nationally per 247Sports rankings. Right next to South Dakota State and Princeton.

UCLA fired coach Deshaun Foster in September — just three games into the season — and went the rest of the regular season without a permanent coach. Despite uncertainty beyond 2025, the Bruins stayed afloat in recruiting. UCLA was able to keep players committed, and opened the early signing period with the No. 71-ranked class. Modest, but not bad for a team whose new coach will be coaching another team this weekend.

UCLA will hire James Madison coach Bob Chesney, with a deal expected after the Sun Belt championship game on Friday, Dec. 5. But Chesney hasn’t done any official work for the Bruins yet, so how did the Bruins keep recruiting momentum?

That’s where general manager Khary Darlington comes in. He and his staff and assistant coaches continued to hit the recruiting trails even though they didn’t know who the next coach would be — or if they’d be retained.

The motto with the support staff was ‘straighten your back and let’s get out there and do the job.’ Even through the doubt about UCLA’s future, Darlington said the staff fed off the momentum of each other and fully bought into the vision it was trying to create. It was the extra boost they needed to keep forging ahead.

‘Having the conversations after the coaching change, I don’t know if I can clearly articulate how difficult some of these conversations were,’ Darlington told reporters Dec. 3.

There were players that re-opened their recruitment following Foster’s departure, and Darlington said some players still committed wanted to see what their options were. He said rather than ‘trying to handcuff people and not acknowledging what their experience is,’ Darlington and his staff took the approach of honesty and giving recruits space to explore every scenario. Ultimately, he believes that paid off.

‘Rather than convincing people not to waiver, we encourage them and respected them. We encourage them to go through their process and told them that we will respect whatever that process was,’ he said. ‘I think that is what I guess you could say what our secret sauce was.’

As a result, UCLA ended the first day of the early signing period with 12 players signed, and a few more expected in the coming days.

Not having a coach did hurt the Bruins though. Two of their top recruits, four-stars Micah Smith (Illinois) and Carter Gooden (Tennessee), flipped. Still, 12 players isn’t too bad.

That doesn’t include four-star defensive lineman Anthony Jones from Irvine, California. Jones was one of the several players who de-committed after Foster was fired. He committed back to the Bruins in November and intends on signing his national letter of intent in February.

Darlington said ‘there was a lot of appreciation’ within the staff for pulling Wednesday off. It was an emotionally taxing adventure, but there’s belief UCLA is set up well for its next regime.

Not something every under-construction team can say.

‘Just the mere fact that we were able to land the amount of players that we have landed, have our staff be as motivated as they were throughout the entire process and finish strong the way that we did is encouraging,’ Darlington said.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo exits Bucks game with injury: What we know

Sport 1 Min Read

On a day where big questions arose about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks, the team is now holding its breath about his immediate health.

The Bucks superstar exited Milwaukee’s contest against the Detroit Pistons in the first quarter and was ruled out for the game with what the team called a ‘right calf strain.’

Antetokounmpo went down suddenly while heading back up the court after feeding AJ Green for a layup. The two-time MVP headed back to the locker room and the Bucks ruled him out for the game a short time later.

He scored two points and had a rebound and an assist in just 3 minutes of play.

Despite Antetokounmpo’s early exit, the Bucks defeated the East-best Pistons, 113-109.

Giannis Antetokounmpo injury update

Bucks coach Doc Rivers told reporters during his postgame availability that Antetokounmpo was getting an MRI ‘right now.’ He was hopeful the team would know more about Antetokounmpo’s status soon but added the team believed it was not an Achilles injury.

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