The ace is in place | Sports Daily Newsletter

The Sixers took yet another shot to the midsection Monday with the news that Paul George would miss the rest of the season. It’s been a rough winter for sports fans around here (aside from that Super Bowl thing), but the saving grace is that the Phillies will open their season in nine days. The countdown is on.

Zack Wheeler, the Cy Young runner-up, will pitch for the Phils in the season opener March 27 in Washington. The Nationals will counter with left-hander MacKenzie Gore, which makes sense when you consider that the Phillies’ lineup includes five lefties.

Get used to seeing teams stack up left-handed starters against Rob Thomson’s team. Last season, the Phillies faced 58 lefty starters, more than any team in baseball. The bottom half of the order could be susceptible to southpaws (looking at you, Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott), but the Phillies have time to figure that out. Hope springs eternal before opening day.

The Phillies say that banged-up outfielders Marsh and Max Kepler are “doing a lot better.” Those two sat out as the Phils posted a 4-2 victory over a Blue Jays split squad.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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We all saw this coming. With Joel Embiid shut down for the season and Tyrese Maxey spending more time on the sidelines, it was only a matter of time before the other shoe dropped and Paul George was ruled out as well. It was announced Monday that George received injections to his groin muscle and knee and will miss at least six weeks, ending his first season in Philly. He closed the year with averages of 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, all well below the outsized expectations for the nine-time All-Star who signed a four-year, $212 million deal this summer. Not much will change for the Sixers, who have waded well into tank mode.

The blame of the Sixers’ lost season, who lost in overtime to the Houston Rockets Monday night, should not lay at the feet of coach Nick Nurse, Inquirer writer Keith Pompey writes. The Sixers have a 70-80 record under Nurse.

Lane Johnson agreed to a one-year contract extension with the Eagles that will keep the cornerstone right tackle in place through the 2027 season. Johnson, who turns 35 in May, will be going into his 15th season in Philadelphia when the new deal begins. He could become the longest-tenured offensive lineman in franchise history.

The Eagles defense added another ex-Georgia player to the mix by agreeing to terms with former New York Giants edge rusher Azeez Ojulari on a one-year deal.

Another new edge rusher, Joshua Uche, is excited about his chance to contribute here.

The Flyers have changed their tune on Sam Ersson. He was named the No. 1 goalie during training camp, but in his last five games, he is 1-3-0 with a 4.68 GAA and an .833 save percentage. Now coach John Tortorella is open to Ersson sharing the netminding duties with Ivan Fedotov.

“I think with Sam, as we move forward, we’re hoping it’s going to be a tandem,” Tortorella said. “ … We’re still evaluating. He’s been inconsistent.”

Fedotov saved 21 shots against the Lightning on Monday night, but the Flyers were shutout for the second straight game in a 2-0 loss in Tampa.

There are any number of storylines in the NCAA Tournament and Ed Barkowitz has listed more than 50 of them. For instance, Rick Pitino has taken six programs to the tournament after guiding St. John’s to its first Big East title in 25 years. Boston U., Providence, Kentucky, Louisville, and Iona are the others. Another tidbit: Arkansas coach John Calipari is back in the Big Dance with guard DJ Wagner, the former Camden High star. There are many more fun NCAA facts here.

Of course, there are no Big 5 men’s or women’s teams in the NCAA tourney, but Villanova’s men are headed for the College Basketball Crown tournament and St. Joseph’s is in the NIT. St. Joe’s and Villanova could be on their way to a Women’s Basketball Invitational matchup, too. Here are the details.

Who is the last Big 5 player to win the Naismith Trophy as college basketball’s player of the year? First with the correct answer here will be featured in the newsletter.

A) Lionel Simmons

B) Jalen Brunson

C) Jameer Nelson

D) Howard Porter

We asked you: Who is the greatest player in Big 5 history? Among your responses:

Howard Porter, Villanova — Richard V.

Pre Big 5, Paul Arizin & Tom Gola. Jalen Brunson, 2 National Championships, Player of the year, Gold medal in under 18 tournament. — Domenick V.

Probably in my opinion, the 5 best locals were Paul Arizin who played at Villanova, Tom Gola from LaSalle, Guy Rodgers out of Temple, Wali Jones from Villanova and Jameer Nelson from St. Joseph’s. Most of you weren’t even born in the ‘50s when some of these greats played the game. I was born in 1939 and remember & watched all of them play. — Ronald R.

To me the greatest Big Five player was Howard Porter, who played for Villanova in the early seventies. A close second would be a guy who played at the very same time, Ken Durett, who played for LaSalle. Unfortunately, both players had pro careers limited by injury but they were both outstanding college basketball players. — Tom E.

My first thought was Paul Arizin and Tom Gola, but both played before the Big 5 was officially formed. Really hard to say for sure who the very best has been, but my personal favorites are Guy Rodgers Temple and then Wali Jones and Ed Pickney, Villanova, and Lionel Simmons, LaSalle. — Everett S.

Howard Porter — Brenda M.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Keith Pompey, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Jeff McLane, Ed Barkowitz, Jackie Spiegel, Paulie Loscalzo, Erik Erlendsson, and Conor Smith.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thank you for reading. Bella will be at the newsletter controls on Wednesday. — Jim