🏀 Final Boss| Sports Daily Newsletter

The Kevin Willard Era officially began on Wednesday, and Villanova’s new men’s basketball coach offered a candid look at his decision to be up next in a mission to return the Wildcats to the perennial prominence it enjoyed under famed former coach Jay Wright.

Perhaps the most significant breakthrough to come from Willard’s introductory news conference is having no intentions of jumping ship anytime soon.

He knows what an abrupt departure can do, as his at Maryland, where he coached the team to an Sweet Sixteen appearance before bidding farewell and struck a chord with the Terrapins fan base, Willard admitted.

But this clean slate, Willard says, will be his last, saying that while he feels as if he’s in his prime years, when it’s all said and done, his coaching career will end on the Main Line.

“I’m not coaching until I’m 70,” he said. “Not in today’s environment.”

You can thank the frenetic world of college athletics for that.

When it comes to Willard, the Inquirer’s Jeff Neiburg sets yesterday’s stage, Mike Sielski notes just how clear Villanova are in their expectations, and Ariel Simpson delivers a look at Willard’s career to this point.

— Kerith Gabriel, @phillysport, [email protected].

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

❓Will Villanova ever return to being the city’s best Big 5 program? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

The 76ers made official Wednesday what we’ve already known: Tyrese Maxey is done for the remainder of the season. The Sixers star, who hasn’t played since March 3, will end up missing the final 30 games. Before that, he carried the team through much of the season as Joel Embiid and Paul George struggled with their own health.

Sixers coach Nick Nurse, who was hoping to let Maxey experiment in the final games of the season, said he was sad to see his star guard’s campaign end.

“I’m disappointed for sure,” Nurse said. “I thought we were going to get that thing healed up and get him back. He kind of re-hurt it — which I don’t like either, right? — at practice.

“I keep saying I want these guys to get as healthy as they can, as quick as they can, because there’s still work to do as far as getting better and working on the craft.”

The Sixers snapped their 12-game losing streak behind Jeff Dowtin Jr.‘s career-high 30 points.

It’s early in the season, but Rob Thomson sees a trend he finds encouraging. Don’t call it “chase” because that’s “like a swear word” to the Phillies manager. He prefers to call it “controlling the zone.”

The Phillies’ plate discipline is one of the best in baseball so far this season. And there’s another positive trend that has continued since last season for one of their best hitters.

Trea Turner hit a go-ahead ninth inning home run that gave the Phillies a 4-3 win over the Braves.

Next: The Phillies wrap up their series in Atlanta tonight (7:15 p.m., NBCSP). Jesús Luzardo (2-0, 1.50 ERA) will start against Braves right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach (1-0, 0.00).

It came with a bit of shock yesterday when sources confirmed that Union midfielder Daniel Gazdag was traded to Easten Conference rivals, Columbus Crew.

By the time you read this today, it may be made official by the team, along with what sum Columbus paid for his efforts.

Inquirer writer Jonathan Tannenwald looks at Gazdag’s situation and what could come next.

When asked in early March about goaltender Aleksei Kolosov’s development during his first full season in North America, Flyers general manager Danny Brière told The Inquirer: “It’s not ideal, but I’ll leave it at that.”

While Brière didn’t delve into specifics, he said the quiet part out loud: The Flyers have had their hands tied by the unhappy goaltender and his camp ever since he failed to report for the first day of training camp.

Last night, Kolosov got the start in the Flyers’ 8-5 win over the New York Rangers, accounting for 24 saves on 29 shots.

The Inquirer’s Gustav Elvin examines what’s next for the Belarusian netminder.

April 10, 1971: The Phillies open Veterans Stadium with a 4-1 win over the Expos in front of 55,352, which at the time was the largest crowd to watch Major League Baseball in Pennsylvania.

Here’s a place to access your favorite Philadelphia teams’ statistics, schedules, and standings in real time.

We asked: What was your favorite Dr. J. memory?

In 1983, while leaving 1528 Walnut St. on my way home after work, I found myself on the same elevator with Julius Erving, whose lawyer’s office was in the same building.

I was carrying a clean file folder and, after stopping to shake Dr. J’s hand, I asked if he would sign the folder for me. Julius took out a pen and, with a move that indicated it was a request he frequently honored, and signed “Julius “Dr. J” Erving” with a genuine smile.

I followed him outside and watched as he smiled and shook hands with other folks walking south on Walnut Street. We all seemed aware of this wonderful moment when we met “Dr. J” as he was on his way to an NBA championship and a victory over the L.A. Lakers. — Doug B.

My favorite Dr. J memory is not about his awesome performance on the court.

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. J at a business event after he retired. He was there representing Coca-Cola. He was an absolute gentleman as we talked Sixers memories and how much I admired him and enjoyed watching him play when he was a Sixer. I’ll never forget how big his hands were as he shook mine. It was no wonder he was so magical and graceful while holding a basketball. Dr. J is a class act and will always be my favorite Sixer. — Paul C.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Ariel Simpson, Mike Sielski, Keith Pompey, Lochlahn March, Gustav Elvin, and Jonathan Tannenwald.

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.

That’s all for me, Philly. Jim is back tomorrow to get you ready for the weekend. — Kerith