Joel Embiid to have another surgery; CBS Sports All-America teams, Player of the Year; Final Four X factors

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⚾ Good morning to all, but especially to …

MLB STARS JACKSON MERRILL, KRISTIAN CAMPBELL AND KETEL MARTE

Happy payday, Jackson Merrill, Kristian Campbell and Ketel Marte! The early-season spending trend continued Wednesday, and all three immediately made it look like money well spent.

• Merrill, 21, signed a nine-year, $135 million extension with the Padres that begins in 2026, includes a 10th-year option and could reach up to $204 million in total value.
• Merrill slashed .292/.326/.500 with 24 home runs, 31 doubles, and 16 stolen bases last season, finishing second in NL Rookie of the Year.
• Merrill joins Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth as San Diego core hitters locked in long-term.
• Shortly after signing the contract, Merrill homered as the Padres beat the Guardians, 5-2, to improve to 7-0 on the season. It’s the longest winning streak to start a season in franchise history.

Campbell, 22, somehow got to his extension even faster. The Red Sox youngster debuted on Opening Day and got an eight-year, $60 million extension less than a week later.

After entering the season as the third-best prospect in MLB, Campbell has lived up to that hype, slashing .400/.500/.750 through six games. He had a pair of doubles in Boston’s 3-0 win over the Orioles on Wednesday, and Julian McWilliams explains why this extension always made sense.

• McWilliams: “Over the last half-decade, teams have increasingly prioritized locking up young talent, a trend popularized by the Braves. … Campbell hit just four homers in his lone 2023 season at Georgia Tech, but the Red Sox, at the time led by then-chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, believed that his power would increase alongside his elite bat-to-ball skills once he entered their system. One key adjustment involved his swing path. … It paid dividends for Campbell, who hit 20 homers in the minors in 2024, slashing .330/.439/.558.”

Finally, Marte got an extension through 2031 that’s worth $116.5 million and includes $64 million in new money. Marte, 31, was already signed through 2027. He’s coming off an All-Star season that saw him hit 36 home runs and drive in 95, both career highs, and finish third in MVP voting.

Marte delivered a hit, an RBI and two walks in the Diamondbacks‘ 4-3 win over the Yankees on Wednesday night.

😄 Honorable mentions

🤕 And not such a good morning for …

JOEL EMBIID AND THE PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

It’s another disappointing season followed by another surgery for Joel Embiid. The 76ers‘ star, who was ruled out for the season in late February due to a left knee injury, will undergo arthroscopic surgery, the team announced Wednesday. It will be Embiid’s second procedure on the knee in 14 months.

• Embiid, 31, played in just 19 games this season as knee issues flared up several times. He will have played in just 58 of a possible 164 games over the past two seasons.
• Embiid’s injury issues were part of a disastrous 76ers season, one that began with championship aspirations but now is hoping for NBA Draft lottery luck. They are 23-53 this season, fifth-worst in the NBA. If their pick lands outside the top six, it goes to the Thunder.
• Philadelphia also shut down Paul George (knee, adductor muscle) in mid-March, and Tyrese Maxey (finger) hasn’t played in a month.

Let’s be frank: It’s a bad sign that a 31-year-old big man who has dealt with injuries his entire career is having a second knee surgery in such a short span. The 76ers need him to get back to his old form to make their all-in Embiid-Maxey-George trio work. But the clock is ticking ever faster.

😔 Not so honorable mentions

🏀 CBS Sports All-America men’s teams, awards

Cooper Flagg was an easy call for CBS Sports Freshman of the Year. Player of the Year? Well that was a closer call. Ultimately, the Duke freshman superstar edged out Johni Broome for the top individual honor in the eyes of our staff. David Cobb explains why.

• Cobb: “During conference action, he averaged 21.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks. He also shot 44% from 3-point range while leading the Blue Devils to a 19-1 league mark. Flagg also emerged from an injury scare in the ACC Tournament to deliver one of his best games yet in the Sweet 16. With his team receiving a strong challenge from Arizona, Flagg went for 30 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three blocks as the Blue Devils held on for a 100-93 victory.”

Kelvin Sampson earned Coach of the Year.

Flagg, Broome and Walter Clayton Jr. were unanimous selections for our All-America first team, and JT Toppin and Braden Smith rounded out that group. You can see all three All-America teams here.

🏀 Who might be the Final Four X factors?

You’ll notice three of the men’s Final Four teams — Duke (Flagg), Auburn (Broome) and Florida (Clayton) — had a first-team All-America selection. Houston‘s L.J. Cryer made the third team. As such, it should be no surprise that those four players, in that order, are the top four of Kyle Boone’s Final Four starter rankings.

But what about No. 5? It’s another freshman … and another Blue Devil.

• Boone: “5. Kon Knueppel — Knueppel is averaging 14.4 points per game on the year and shooting a blistering 53.8% from 3-point range during March Madness. He’s the perfect sharpshooter sidekick for Flagg.”

Four Duke starters make the top 10, and all five make the top dozen, a remarkable accomplishment considering how loaded each of these No. 1 seeds are. But don’t sleep on some lower-ranked guys like Auburn’s Miles Kelly (14th), Houston’s Emanuel Sharp (15th) and Florida’s Will Richard (16th). All three are capable of big scoring nights.

By the way, I loved …

On the women’s side, Isabel Gonzalez ranks the teams that have made it to Tampa, Florida. (Let’s see if UConn guess who she has in the top spot.) Plus, Xavier Handy-Hamilton has the biggest questions for each Final Four team, including for my title pick, UConn — the only non 1-seed to make either Final Four.

• Handy-Hamilton: “Who will be UConn’s third musketeer? — This entire season, Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong have been the Huskies’ one-two punch. … However, to get past the No. 1 overall-seeded Bruins, UConn will have to find a way to support their stars. Historically, this task has been given to Azzi Fudd and she’s excelled at it. But, in the last two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Fudd has struggled offensively, shooting 26% from the floor.”

We’ll find out soon enough as we’re just one day away. Here’s what to know.

📺 What we’re watching Thursday

⚽ Tottenham Hotspur at Chelsea, 3 p.m. on Peacock
🏀 Grizzlies at Heat, 7:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏀 Warriors at Lakers, 10 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏒 Oilers at Sharks, 10:30 p.m. on ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+