FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Harlond Beverly had 17 points in Wichita State's 71-65 victory over Memphis on Thursday night in the American Athletic Conference Tournament.

The 12th-seeded Shockers advance to play four-seed UAB in Friday's quarterfinals.

Beverly also added six rebounds, five steals, and five blocks for the Shockers (15-18). Colby Rogers shot 4 for 13, including 3 for 8 from beyond the arc to add 13 points. Bijan Cortes had 11 points and went 4 of 7 from the field.

David Jones led the Tigers (22-10) with 24 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Nae'Qwan Tomlin added 18 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks for five-seed Memphis. Jahvon Quinerly also had eight points, seven rebounds and two steals.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Harlond Beverly had 17 points in Wichita State's 71-65 victory over Memphis on Thursday night in the American Athletic Conference Tournament.The 12th-seeded Shockers advance to play four-seed UAB in Friday's quarterfinals.Beverly also added six rebounds, five steals, and five blocks for the Shockers (15-18). Colby Rogers shot 4 for 13, including 3 for 8 from beyond the arc to add 13 points. Bijan Cortes had 11 points and went 4 of 7 from the field.David Jones led the Tigers (22-10) with 24 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Nae'Qwan Tomlin added 18 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks for five-seed Memphis. Jahvon Quinerly also had eight points, seven rebounds and two steals.

Beverly scores 17, Wichita State defeats Memphis in American Athletic Conference Tournament 71-65

By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports Info

The Barton Community College baseball team combined for 17 runs on 27 hits to defeat Colby Community College in the opening two games of a four-game series on Thursday afternoon at Lawson-Biggs Field.

The Cougars scored in all six innings while pitching their second shutout of the season for a 9-0 victory in the series opener before getting a hit from all nine starters in Game 2 to complete the doubleheader sweep 9-3.

Winning their fourth straight, Barton improves to 4-2 in league play and 15-6 overall while the losses drop the Trojans to 0-6 in conference play and 2-18 overall. The series concludes with a Saturday doubleheader set for 1:00 p.m. from Colby's Young Memorial Park. 

Starting hurler Reece Hemmerling and reliever Nathan Bowman combined to throw a six-hit shutout combining for 11 strikeouts. Hemmerling pitched 6.0-innings while tying a career high nine strikeouts to improve to 3-1 on the season, while Bowman worked a perfect seventh in securing the shutout.

Scoring in all six innings, Barton leaped out to a 5-0 lead scoring one run in each of the first five innings before putting the Trojans in the taillights with a three run sixth.

Receiving balanced production up and down the lineup as eight different Cougars recorded an RBI and seven producing a hit, Jaron Cotton led the Cougars plus-seven hit advantage going 4 for 4 at the plate with an RBI and logging the lone extra base hits coming on a pair of triples.

Fresh off his first collegiate three hit game on Tuesday, Cesar Gomez continued to swing a sizzling bat in the seventh spot of the lineup turning in his second straight three hit performance going 3 of 3 with an RBI and run scored.

Making a highlight reel catch in left field robbing Colby's leadoff hitter Gavin Shary of an extra base hit begin the contest, Cole Schieffer closed out Barton's multi-hit performances going 2 for 3.   

In the nightcap, Robby Bolin's leadoff single extending his hitting streak to 19-straight games gave Barton a 1-0 lead on Cotton's RBI double.

Maintaining the 1-0 lead through the opening four innings, the Cougars exploded for five runs on five hits in the bottom of the fifth as Barton sent 10 to the plate.

Playing small ball behind Grant Nottlemann and Schieffer's sacrifice fly's in the inning, Wyatt Yetter and Gomez fashioned RBI singles before Cooper Tabor supplied the big hit in the inning legging out an RBI triple for his collegiate first.

Adding three more runs in the bottom of the seventh, Tabor's second single of the game brought in Gomez leadoff walk followed by Owen Clyne's sacrifice bunt scoring Bolin's infield single and Cotton's sacrifice fly carried in Tabor.

Four different Cougars had multi-hits each in a 14-hit attack in Game 2

Tabor paced the bats going 3 of 4 out of the nine hole in the lineup with two RBI's and two stolen bases. Gomez was 2 for 3 with a double, RBI and run scored. Bolin was 2 of 4 with a run scored and steal. Yetter went 2 for 5 with an RBI and run.

Aidan Sowers improved to 3-0 on the mound as the sophomore went seven strong innings scattering four hits, two runs, walking one and striking out four. Sowers yielded just one hit through six innings coming on an infield single in the fourth inning.

Working in relief, Colton Wahlstrom tossed the final two innings giving up one run, three hits and fanning a pair of Trojans to close out the twin bill sweep.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710495903669.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports InfoThe Barton Community College baseball team combined for 17 runs on 27 hits to defeat Colby Community College in the opening two games of a four-game series on Thursday afternoon at Lawson-Biggs Field.The Cougars scored in all six innings while pitching their second shutout of the season for a 9-0 victory in the series opener before getting a hit from all nine starters in Game 2 to complete the doubleheader sweep 9-3.Winning their fourth straight, Barton improves to 4-2 in league play and 15-6 overall while the losses drop the Trojans to 0-6 in conference play and 2-18 overall. The series concludes with a Saturday doubleheader set for 1:00 p.m. from Colby's Young Memorial Park. Game 1 Recap (W 8-0)Starting hurler Reece Hemmerling and reliever Nathan Bowman combined to throw a six-hit shutout combining for 11 strikeouts. Hemmerling pitched 6.0-innings while tying a career high nine strikeouts to improve to 3-1 on the season, while Bowman worked a perfect seventh in securing the shutout.Scoring in all six innings, Barton leaped out to a 5-0 lead scoring one run in each of the first five innings before putting the Trojans in the taillights with a three run sixth.Receiving balanced production up and down the lineup as eight different Cougars recorded an RBI and seven producing a hit, Jaron Cotton led the Cougars plus-seven hit advantage going 4 for 4 at the plate with an RBI and logging the lone extra base hits coming on a pair of triples.Fresh off his first collegiate three hit game on Tuesday, Cesar Gomez continued to swing a sizzling bat in the seventh spot of the lineup turning in his second straight three hit performance going 3 of 3 with an RBI and run scored.Making a highlight reel catch in left field robbing Colby's leadoff hitter Gavin Shary of an extra base hit begin the contest, Cole Schieffer closed out Barton's multi-hit performances going 2 for 3. Game 2 Recap (W 9-3)In the nightcap, Robby Bolin's leadoff single extending his hitting streak to 19-straight games gave Barton a 1-0 lead on Cotton's RBI double.Maintaining the 1-0 lead through the opening four innings, the Cougars exploded for five runs on five hits in the bottom of the fifth as Barton sent 10 to the plate.Playing small ball behind Grant Nottlemann and Schieffer's sacrifice fly's in the inning, Wyatt Yetter and Gomez fashioned RBI singles before Cooper Tabor supplied the big hit in the inning legging out an RBI triple for his collegiate first.Adding three more runs in the bottom of the seventh, Tabor's second single of the game brought in Gomez leadoff walk followed by Owen Clyne's sacrifice bunt scoring Bolin's infield single and Cotton's sacrifice fly carried in Tabor.Four different Cougars had multi-hits each in a 14-hit attack in Game 2Tabor paced the bats going 3 of 4 out of the nine hole in the lineup with two RBI's and two stolen bases. Gomez was 2 for 3 with a double, RBI and run scored. Bolin was 2 of 4 with a run scored and steal. Yetter went 2 for 5 with an RBI and run.Aidan Sowers improved to 3-0 on the mound as the sophomore went seven strong innings scattering four hits, two runs, walking one and striking out four. Sowers yielded just one hit through six innings coming on an infield single in the fourth inning.Working in relief, Colton Wahlstrom tossed the final two innings giving up one run, three hits and fanning a pair of Trojans to close out the twin bill sweep.

Cougars notch doubleheader sweep in series opener with Trojans

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Iowa State applied the lessons it learned from a loss to Kansas State last weekend to its rematch in the Big 12 Tournament.

The Cyclones relentlessly pressured the ball Thursday night, forcing 20 turnovers. They built a big edge in second-chance points. And they drove hard to the basket, offsetting some cold shooting from the 3-point line by parading to the foul line 31 times.

The result was a 76-57 victory for the seventh-ranked Cyclones and a spot in the semifinal round.

“On Saturday,” Cyclones coach T.J. Otzelberger said, “they were the aggressive team. They took it to us. And I thought that really helped us today, because of the respect we have for them. Our guys knew in our preparation we had to be at our very best.

“We're fortunate the areas we focus on with paint points, second-chance points, points off turnovers — those are the things we hang our hats on,” Otzelberger added, "and our guys did a tremendous job of focusing on those areas.”

Robert Jones scored 18 points, Tre King added 16 and Keshon Gilbert had 12 along with six steals to help fourth-seeded Iowa State (25-7) advance to play No. 14 Baylor for a spot in the conference championship game.

“We didn’t play well but it was because of them,” Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said. “They came ready to play.”

Tylor Perry had 18 points, Arthur Kaluma scored 13 and Will McNair Jr. had 12 points for 10th-seeded Kansas State (19-14), which closed to within 40-39 with about 16 minutes to go, when the Wildcats' turnovers really began to pile up.

Now, the Wildcats are left wondering whether they did enough to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.

“We didn’t duck anybody in what we did,” Tang said, proceeding to spend several minutes making their case. “We have elite Quad 1 wins. We have no bad losses. I thought last night (against Texas), when we won, we were in the NCAA Tournament.”

Kansas State appeared to be hanging on the NCAA bubble until late-season losses to Cincinnati and Kansas put Tang's team in true desperation mode. The Wildcats responded with a win over Iowa State on senior day, then beat seventh-seeded Texas — an almost certain tourney team — on Wednesday to earn the opportunity for another marquee win over the Cyclones.

But this is the Big 12 Tournament, where Iowa State always seems to show up.

The four-time champs methodically went about their business in the first half Thursday night, building a 34-27 halftime lead by beating Kansas State to loose balls and turning dominance in the paint into a bunch of second-chance baskets.

They won the kind of hustle plays Kansas State won when the teams met at Bramlage Coliseum last Saturday.

The Wildcats tried to make a second-half run, closing within 40-39 on McNair's layup with 16 minutes to go. But then a team ranked 338th out of 351 teams in Division I in turnovers proceeded to cough the ball up on five of its next seven trips down the floor, and the Cyclones capitalized behind Hason Ward and Milan Momcilovic to pull away again.

They outscored Kansas State 26-6 over the next 10 minutes to put the game away.

“We're a defensive-minded team first and foremost,” King said, “and we pride ourselves on getting stops. We saw the lead get cut down to one and in our mind, we really focused on getting those stops, and our team did a great job of responding.”

Kansas State: The Wildcats are left to hope three wins over top-10 teams is enough to get them into the NCAA Tournament when teams are selected Sunday.

Iowa State: The Cyclones lost to the Bears in February on a layup in the closing seconds, a game better remembered for the Bears' Scott Drew getting ejected for the first time in his career.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Iowa State applied the lessons it learned from a loss to Kansas State last weekend to its rematch in the Big 12 Tournament.The Cyclones relentlessly pressured the ball Thursday night, forcing 20 turnovers. They built a big edge in second-chance points. And they drove hard to the basket, offsetting some cold shooting from the 3-point line by parading to the foul line 31 times.The result was a 76-57 victory for the seventh-ranked Cyclones and a spot in the semifinal round.“On Saturday,” Cyclones coach T.J. Otzelberger said, “they were the aggressive team. They took it to us. And I thought that really helped us today, because of the respect we have for them. Our guys knew in our preparation we had to be at our very best.“We're fortunate the areas we focus on with paint points, second-chance points, points off turnovers — those are the things we hang our hats on,” Otzelberger added, "and our guys did a tremendous job of focusing on those areas.”Robert Jones scored 18 points, Tre King added 16 and Keshon Gilbert had 12 along with six steals to help fourth-seeded Iowa State (25-7) advance to play No. 14 Baylor for a spot in the conference championship game.“We didn’t play well but it was because of them,” Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said. “They came ready to play.”Tylor Perry had 18 points, Arthur Kaluma scored 13 and Will McNair Jr. had 12 points for 10th-seeded Kansas State (19-14), which closed to within 40-39 with about 16 minutes to go, when the Wildcats' turnovers really began to pile up.Now, the Wildcats are left wondering whether they did enough to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.“We didn’t duck anybody in what we did,” Tang said, proceeding to spend several minutes making their case. “We have elite Quad 1 wins. We have no bad losses. I thought last night (against Texas), when we won, we were in the NCAA Tournament.”Kansas State appeared to be hanging on the NCAA bubble until late-season losses to Cincinnati and Kansas put Tang's team in true desperation mode. The Wildcats responded with a win over Iowa State on senior day, then beat seventh-seeded Texas — an almost certain tourney team — on Wednesday to earn the opportunity for another marquee win over the Cyclones.But this is the Big 12 Tournament, where Iowa State always seems to show up.The four-time champs methodically went about their business in the first half Thursday night, building a 34-27 halftime lead by beating Kansas State to loose balls and turning dominance in the paint into a bunch of second-chance baskets.They won the kind of hustle plays Kansas State won when the teams met at Bramlage Coliseum last Saturday.The Wildcats tried to make a second-half run, closing within 40-39 on McNair's layup with 16 minutes to go. But then a team ranked 338th out of 351 teams in Division I in turnovers proceeded to cough the ball up on five of its next seven trips down the floor, and the Cyclones capitalized behind Hason Ward and Milan Momcilovic to pull away again.They outscored Kansas State 26-6 over the next 10 minutes to put the game away.“We're a defensive-minded team first and foremost,” King said, “and we pride ourselves on getting stops. We saw the lead get cut down to one and in our mind, we really focused on getting those stops, and our team did a great job of responding.”UP NEXTKansas State: The Wildcats are left to hope three wins over top-10 teams is enough to get them into the NCAA Tournament when teams are selected Sunday.Iowa State: The Cyclones lost to the Bears in February on a layup in the closing seconds, a game better remembered for the Bears' Scott Drew getting ejected for the first time in his career.

Jones, King lead No. 7 Iowa State to 76-57 win over Kansas State in Big 12 tourney

FORT WORTH, Texas
(AP) — Led by Harlond Beverly's 17 points, the Wichita State
Shockers defeated the Memphis Tigers 71-65 in the American Athletic
Conference Tournament on Thursday night. Dalen Ridgnal scored eight
points in the first half for Wichita State, who led 35-33 at the
break. Wichita State turned a two-point second-half lead into an
11-point advantage with a 9-0 run to make it a 44-33 lead with 16:14
left in the half. Beverly scored 12 second-half points.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Robert Jones scored 18 points, Tre King added 16 points and
No. 7 Iowa State harried Kansas State into 20 turnovers, allowing the
Cyclones to cruise to a 76-57 victory in the quarterfinals of the Big
12 Tournament. Keshon Gilbert added 12 points and six steals and
Tamin Lipsey had 11 points for the fourth-seeded Cyclones, who were
clinging to a 40-39 lead with about 16 minutes to go when the
Wildcats’ turnovers really began to pile up. Tylor Perry had 18
points, Arthur Kaluma scored 13 and Will McNair Jr. had 12 points for
10th-seeded Kansas State. Iowa State will play No. 14 Baylor in the
semifinals on Friday night.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Top-ranked Houston relied on its defense to shut down TCU in
a 60-45 victory in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.
Emanuel Sharp led the Cougars in scoring with 14 points and Jamal
Shead scored 12, but it was their defense that held the Horned Frogs
without a point for nearly 10 minutes to start the game. Micah Peavy
wound up leading the Horned Frogs with 13 points. Top scorer Emanuel
Miller was held to three points on 1-for-10 shooting. Houston
advanced to the semifinals and will play No. 25 Texas Tech on Friday
night for a spot in the championship game.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Pop Isaacs scored 22 points, Chance McMillian added 17
points and eight rebounds and No. 25 Texas Tech beat No. 20 BYU 81-67
in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday. The No. 4
seed Red Raiders led by as many as 23 before absorbing a 15-0 run by
the Cougars in the second half. Texas Tech advanced into a semifinal
matchup with top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Houston on Friday night.
Jaxson Robinson had 22 points to lead the No. 5 seed Cougars, who
shot 14 of 30 at the 3-point arc in a second-round win over UCF but
were just 7 of 35 against Texas Tech.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — RayJ Dennis shook off a tough start to score 13 points and
lead No. 14 Baylor to a 68-56 victory over Cincinnati in the
quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament. Jalen Bridges added 12 points
and eight rebounds as the No. 3 seed in the tournament advanced to
play seventh-ranked and No. 2 seed Iowa State on Friday night. Dan
Skillings Jr. had 15 points for the No. 11 seed Bearcats, who were
playing their third game in three days. They beat West Virginia in a
high-scoring first-round game before beating short-handed Kansas to
reach the quarterfinals in their first Big 12 Tournament appearance.

WASHINGTON (AP) —
DJ Horne scored 18 points, including two clutch free throws with 15
seconds left, and North Carolina State ousted No. 11 Duke 74-69 in
the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. Kyle Filipowski had 28
points and 14 rebounds for second-seeded Duke, but N.C. State big man
D.J. Burns Jr. kept him frustrated in the second half as the Wolfpack
refused to yield. Tenth-seeded N.C. State will face either Virginia
or Boston College in Friday’s semifinals, needing two more
victories to secure an improbable automatic bid to the NCAA
Tournament.

NEW YORK (AP) —
Devin Carter had 22 points and 11 rebounds as Providence secured a
huge victory for its postseason resume, holding off No. 8 Creighton
78-73 in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals. Josh Oduro added 17
points and nine boards for the seventh-seeded Friars, who recovered
in the final five-plus minutes after squandering a 13-point lead in
the second half. They will face 10th-ranked and third-seeded
Marquette in the second semifinal Friday night at Madison Square
Garden. Jayden Pierre had 15 points and seven assists for Providence.
Ryan Kalkbrenner had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the second-seeded
Bluejays.

UNDATED (AP) —
Oklahoma State says it has fired men’s basketball coach Mike
Boynton. He had a 119-109 record in seven seasons at the school. The
Cowboys went 12-20 this season and lost their opening game of the Big
12 Tournament to UCF on Tuesday. The Cowboys reached just one NCAA
tournament under Boynton as he dealt with the fallout from an NCAA
investigation. In 2020, an NCAA infractions committee gave the
Cowboys a one-year postseason ban and other penalties after former
assistant coach Lamont Evans accepted up to $22,000 so he could help
steer athletes to certain financial advisers.

UNDATED (AP) —
Stanford has fired men’s basketball coach Jerod Haase after he
finished his eighth season at the school without a single NCAA
Tournament appearance. Athletic director Bernard Muir announced the
decision on Thursday night, shortly after the Cardinal finished a
second straight losing season with a 79-62 loss to No. 22 Washington
State in the Pac-12 quarterfinals in Las Vegas. Stanford went 14-18
for the season and finished in a three-way tie for ninth place in the
Pac-12 with an 8-12 mark in conference. Haase had a 126-127 record
overall for Stanford.

UNDATED (AP) — The
NFL is reviewing whether the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles
violated tampering policies during the legal tampering window, a
league spokesman said Thursday. The Falcons agreed to a contract with
four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins shortly after teams were
permitted to start negotiating with unrestricted free agents on
Monday. The Eagles quickly struck a deal with two-time Pro Bowl
running back Saquon Barkley soon after the negotiation period opened
at 12 p.m. EDT. Teams are permitted to talk directly with agents
during the 52-hour negotiating window, but can’t speak to the
player unless he has no agent and represents himself.

UNDATED (AP) — The
Chicago Bears acquired wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Los
Angeles Chargers for a fourth-round pick. Allen has spent his entire
11-year career with the Chargers and was the longest-tenured player
on the roster. Allen is going into the final season of a four-year
extension he signed in 2020, but refused to take a pay cut or
restructure his contract according to one person familiar with the
trade. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated
Press because they aren’t at liberty to publicly discuss personnel
moves. Allen’s salary cap number for the upcoming season is $34.7
million, including a $5 million roster bonus due on Sunday.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH,
Fla. (AP) — Rory McIlroy had 10 birdies, two water balls and one
lengthy dispute on where to take a penalty drop. It added up to a 65
at The Players Championship. That's his lowest start at the TPC
Sawgrass and it gave him a share of the lead with Xander Schauffele
and Wyndham Clark. One tee ball went into the water on the 18th. The
one causing issues was on No. 7, his 16th hole of the round. Jordan
Spieth and Viktor Hovland were questioning whether the ball landed
above the red hazard line. McIlroy says he was comfortable with where
he dropped.

UNDATED (AP) —
More than half of Americans say they are against college athletes
unionizing, though younger respondents were more supportive than
older, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center
for Public Affairs Research. The survey found that 55% of adults
believe NCAA athletes should not be permitted to form unions that
would led to collective bargaining with schools. The survey found
breaks in support along three lines: political party identification,
race and age. Six in 10 adults under the age of 45 support allowing
college athletes to form unions. Last week, Dartmouth men's
basketball players voted to join a union.


Final	(4)North Carolina	92	Florida St.	67	


Final	(15)South Carolina	80	Arkansas	66	


Final	(22)Washington St.	79	Stanford	62	


Final	Chicago White Sox	5	L.A. Angels	1	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707734642080.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FORT WORTH, Texas
(AP) — Led by Harlond Beverly's 17 points, the Wichita State
Shockers defeated the Memphis Tigers 71-65 in the American Athletic
Conference Tournament on Thursday night. Dalen Ridgnal scored eight
points in the first half for Wichita State, who led 35-33 at the
break. Wichita State turned a two-point second-half lead into an
11-point advantage with a 9-0 run to make it a 44-33 lead with 16:14
left in the half. Beverly scored 12 second-half points.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Robert Jones scored 18 points, Tre King added 16 points and
No. 7 Iowa State harried Kansas State into 20 turnovers, allowing the
Cyclones to cruise to a 76-57 victory in the quarterfinals of the Big
12 Tournament. Keshon Gilbert added 12 points and six steals and
Tamin Lipsey had 11 points for the fourth-seeded Cyclones, who were
clinging to a 40-39 lead with about 16 minutes to go when the
Wildcats’ turnovers really began to pile up. Tylor Perry had 18
points, Arthur Kaluma scored 13 and Will McNair Jr. had 12 points for
10th-seeded Kansas State. Iowa State will play No. 14 Baylor in the
semifinals on Friday night.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Top-ranked Houston relied on its defense to shut down TCU in
a 60-45 victory in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.
Emanuel Sharp led the Cougars in scoring with 14 points and Jamal
Shead scored 12, but it was their defense that held the Horned Frogs
without a point for nearly 10 minutes to start the game. Micah Peavy
wound up leading the Horned Frogs with 13 points. Top scorer Emanuel
Miller was held to three points on 1-for-10 shooting. Houston
advanced to the semifinals and will play No. 25 Texas Tech on Friday
night for a spot in the championship game.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Pop Isaacs scored 22 points, Chance McMillian added 17
points and eight rebounds and No. 25 Texas Tech beat No. 20 BYU 81-67
in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday. The No. 4
seed Red Raiders led by as many as 23 before absorbing a 15-0 run by
the Cougars in the second half. Texas Tech advanced into a semifinal
matchup with top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Houston on Friday night.
Jaxson Robinson had 22 points to lead the No. 5 seed Cougars, who
shot 14 of 30 at the 3-point arc in a second-round win over UCF but
were just 7 of 35 against Texas Tech.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — RayJ Dennis shook off a tough start to score 13 points and
lead No. 14 Baylor to a 68-56 victory over Cincinnati in the
quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament. Jalen Bridges added 12 points
and eight rebounds as the No. 3 seed in the tournament advanced to
play seventh-ranked and No. 2 seed Iowa State on Friday night. Dan
Skillings Jr. had 15 points for the No. 11 seed Bearcats, who were
playing their third game in three days. They beat West Virginia in a
high-scoring first-round game before beating short-handed Kansas to
reach the quarterfinals in their first Big 12 Tournament appearance.WASHINGTON (AP) —
DJ Horne scored 18 points, including two clutch free throws with 15
seconds left, and North Carolina State ousted No. 11 Duke 74-69 in
the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. Kyle Filipowski had 28
points and 14 rebounds for second-seeded Duke, but N.C. State big man
D.J. Burns Jr. kept him frustrated in the second half as the Wolfpack
refused to yield. Tenth-seeded N.C. State will face either Virginia
or Boston College in Friday’s semifinals, needing two more
victories to secure an improbable automatic bid to the NCAA
Tournament.NEW YORK (AP) —
Devin Carter had 22 points and 11 rebounds as Providence secured a
huge victory for its postseason resume, holding off No. 8 Creighton
78-73 in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals. Josh Oduro added 17
points and nine boards for the seventh-seeded Friars, who recovered
in the final five-plus minutes after squandering a 13-point lead in
the second half. They will face 10th-ranked and third-seeded
Marquette in the second semifinal Friday night at Madison Square
Garden. Jayden Pierre had 15 points and seven assists for Providence.
Ryan Kalkbrenner had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the second-seeded
Bluejays.UNDATED (AP) —
Oklahoma State says it has fired men’s basketball coach Mike
Boynton. He had a 119-109 record in seven seasons at the school. The
Cowboys went 12-20 this season and lost their opening game of the Big
12 Tournament to UCF on Tuesday. The Cowboys reached just one NCAA
tournament under Boynton as he dealt with the fallout from an NCAA
investigation. In 2020, an NCAA infractions committee gave the
Cowboys a one-year postseason ban and other penalties after former
assistant coach Lamont Evans accepted up to $22,000 so he could help
steer athletes to certain financial advisers.UNDATED (AP) —
Stanford has fired men’s basketball coach Jerod Haase after he
finished his eighth season at the school without a single NCAA
Tournament appearance. Athletic director Bernard Muir announced the
decision on Thursday night, shortly after the Cardinal finished a
second straight losing season with a 79-62 loss to No. 22 Washington
State in the Pac-12 quarterfinals in Las Vegas. Stanford went 14-18
for the season and finished in a three-way tie for ninth place in the
Pac-12 with an 8-12 mark in conference. Haase had a 126-127 record
overall for Stanford.UNDATED (AP) — The
NFL is reviewing whether the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles
violated tampering policies during the legal tampering window, a
league spokesman said Thursday. The Falcons agreed to a contract with
four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins shortly after teams were
permitted to start negotiating with unrestricted free agents on
Monday. The Eagles quickly struck a deal with two-time Pro Bowl
running back Saquon Barkley soon after the negotiation period opened
at 12 p.m. EDT. Teams are permitted to talk directly with agents
during the 52-hour negotiating window, but can’t speak to the
player unless he has no agent and represents himself.UNDATED (AP) — The
Chicago Bears acquired wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Los
Angeles Chargers for a fourth-round pick. Allen has spent his entire
11-year career with the Chargers and was the longest-tenured player
on the roster. Allen is going into the final season of a four-year
extension he signed in 2020, but refused to take a pay cut or
restructure his contract according to one person familiar with the
trade. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated
Press because they aren’t at liberty to publicly discuss personnel
moves. Allen’s salary cap number for the upcoming season is $34.7
million, including a $5 million roster bonus due on Sunday.PONTE VEDRA BEACH,
Fla. (AP) — Rory McIlroy had 10 birdies, two water balls and one
lengthy dispute on where to take a penalty drop. It added up to a 65
at The Players Championship. That's his lowest start at the TPC
Sawgrass and it gave him a share of the lead with Xander Schauffele
and Wyndham Clark. One tee ball went into the water on the 18th. The
one causing issues was on No. 7, his 16th hole of the round. Jordan
Spieth and Viktor Hovland were questioning whether the ball landed
above the red hazard line. McIlroy says he was comfortable with where
he dropped.UNDATED (AP) —
More than half of Americans say they are against college athletes
unionizing, though younger respondents were more supportive than
older, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center
for Public Affairs Research. The survey found that 55% of adults
believe NCAA athletes should not be permitted to form unions that
would led to collective bargaining with schools. The survey found
breaks in support along three lines: political party identification,
race and age. Six in 10 adults under the age of 45 support allowing
college athletes to form unions. Last week, Dartmouth men's
basketball players voted to join a union.THURSDAY SCORESTOP-25 COLLEGE
BASKETBALL
Final	(1)Houston	60	TCU	45	
Final	(2)UConn	87	Xavier	60	
Final	(4)North Carolina	92	Florida St.	67	
Final	(6)Arizona	70	Southern Cal	49	
Final	(7)Iowa St.	76	Kansas St.	57	
Final	Providence	78	(8)Creighton	73	
Final	(10)Marquette	71	Villanova	65	
Final	NC State	74	(11)Duke	69	
Final	(14)Baylor	68	Cincinnati	56	
Final	(15)South Carolina	80	Arkansas	66	
Final	(18)Utah St.	87	Fresno St.	75	
Final	(25)Texas Tech	81	(20)BYU	67	
Final	(22)Washington St.	79	Stanford	62	
Final	Colorado St.	85	(23)Nevada	78	
Final	Duquesne	65	(24)Dayton	57MAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUE
Final	Philadelphia	6	Boston	1	
Final	Tampa Bay	3	Atlanta	1	
Final	Baltimore	5	Pittsburgh	2	
Final	Seattle	4	Milwaukee	2	
Final	Chicago Cubs	3	Oakland	1	
Final	Cleveland	13	Colorado	7	
Final	Kansas City	6	Arizona	0	
Final	Washington	5	Houston	3	
Final	Texas	7	Cincinnati	4	AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final	Toronto	5	Minnesota	1	
Final	Detroit	7	N.Y. Yankees	0	
Final	Chicago White Sox	5	L.A. Angels	1	NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final	N.Y. Mets	0	St. Louis	0	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final	Boston	127	Phoenix	112	
Final	L.A. Clippers	126	Chicago	111	
Final	Houston	135	Washington	119	
Final	Milwaukee	114	Philadelphia	105	
Final	New York	105	Portland	93	
Final	Oklahoma City	126	Dallas	119	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUE
Final	Buffalo	4	N-Y Islanders	0	
Final OT	Boston	2	Montreal	1	
Final	Arizona	4	Detroit	1	
Final	Carolina	4	Florida	0	
Final	Pittsburgh	6	San Jose	3	
Final	Tampa Bay	6	N-Y Rangers	3	
Final SO	Ottawa	3	Columbus	2	
Final	Toronto	6	Philadelphia	2	
Final	Minnesota	2	Anaheim	0	
Final	New Jersey	6	Dallas	2	
Final	Calgary	4	Vegas	1

Friday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

2023: 87-75, first place, lost to Houston in Division Series.

Manager: Rocco Baldelli (sixth season).

Opening Day: March 28 at Kansas City.

He’s Here: 1B Carlos Santana, OF Manuel Margot, RHP Anthony DeSclafani, RHP Justin Topa, LHP Steven Okert, RHP Jay Jackson, RHP Josh Staumont.

He’s Outta Here: RHP Sonny Gray, RHP Kenta Maeda, 2B Jorge Polanco, OF Michael A. Taylor, INF Donovan Solano, RHP Emilio Pagán, INF Nick Gordon, RHP Tyler Mahle, OF Joey Gallo.

Top Hitters: 3B Royce Lewis (.309, 15 HRs, 52 RBIs in 58 games), SS Carlos Correa (.230, 18, 65), CF Byron Buxton (.207, 17, 42 in 85 games as DH), RF Max Kepler (.260, 24, 66), 2B Edouard Julien (.263, 13, 37, .839 OPS in 109 games).

Projected Rotation: RH Pablo López (11-8, 3.66 ERA, 234 Ks in 194 IP), RH Joe Ryan (11-10, 4.51, 197 Ks in 161 2/3 IP), RH Bailey Ober (8-6, 3.43), RH Chris Paddack (5.40 ERA in 2 relief appearances after recovering from Tommy John surgery), RH Anthony DeSclafani (4-8, 4.88 in 99 2/3 IP for Giants).

Key Relievers: RH Jhoan Durán (3-6, 2.45 ERA, 27 saves, 84 Ks in 62 1/3 IP), RH Griffin Jax (6-10, 3.86, 4 saves), LH Caleb Thielbar (3-1, 3.23), RH Brock Stewart (2-0, 0.65, 1 save in 27 2/3 IP).

Outlook: Free agency took some bite out of their rotation, with Gray and Maeda departing for other clubs, but the Twins remain in solid position to defend their division title with their AL Central competitors posing less of a collective threat than any of MLB’s other divisions. The payroll has been trimmed in response to a dip in regional television revenue, but the low-key acquisitions of Santana and Margot ought to give the lineup a boost of experience, durability and fielding expertise. Most vital to Minnesota’s success will be better health and production from stars Buxton and Correa. Buxton is returning to CF after knee trouble limited him to DH duty in what was mostly a lost season. Paddack, who recovered from Tommy John surgery in time to join the bullpen for the playoffs, will be counted on to help solidify the rotation. DeSclafani and Topa arrived in a trade that sent Polanco to the Mariners, with Julien appearing ready for a full season of action after an impactful rookie year. If Lewis stays healthy, the Twins have a superstar in the making. López and Durán make for a formidable pair of aces for the rotation and bullpen, respectively.

Manager: A.J. Hinch (fourth season).

Opening Day: March 28 at Chicago White Sox.

He’s Here: RHP Kenta Maeda, RHP Jack Flaherty, RHP Shelby Miller, LHP Andrew Chafin, OF Mark Canha, 3B Gio Urshela, 2B Colt Keith.

He’s Outta Here: DH Miguel Cabrera, LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, RHP Michael Lorenzen, C Eric Haase, INF Nick Maton.

Top Hitters: DH Kerry Carpenter (.278, 20 HRs, 64 RBIs, .811 OPS), 1B Spencer Torkelson (.233, 31, 94), RF Riley Greene (.288, 11, 31, .796 OPS).

Projected Rotation: LH Tarik Skubal (7-3, 2.80 ERA), RH Kenta Maeda (6-8, 4.23 with Twins), RH Jack Flaherty (8-9, 4.99 with Orioles and Cardinals), RH Reese Olson (5-7, 3.99), RH Casey Mize (7-13, 4.29 in career; hasn’t pitched since April 2022) or RH Matt Manning (5-4, 3.58).

Key Relievers: RH Alex Lange (7-5, 3.68 ERA, 26/32 saves), RH Jason Foley (3-3, 2.61), RH Shelby Miller (3-0, 1.71 with Dodgers), LH Andrew Chafin (3-4, 4.73 with Diamondbacks and Brewers).

Outlook: The Tigers seem to have a shot to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014, potentially taking advantage of a relatively weak division and an improved team. Detroit will lean on Skubal to anchor what could be a solid rotation with Maeda and Flaherty added to replace Rodriguez and Lorenzen. The health of Mize, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2018, and Urshela, coming back from a broken pelvis, may prove to be pivotal. Torkelson, the top pick in 2022, will have a chance to be a designated hitter more often with Cabrera’s retirement. Parker Meadows, a dynamic 24-year-old center fielder, and Keith, who was given a guaranteed deal worth at least $28 million without facing a pitch in the majors, will be intriguing to watch. The franchise is trying to be patient with underperforming shortstop Javier Báez, who enters the third season of a $140 million, six-year contract, after his .593 OPS in 2023 was the second-lowest of his career.

Manager: Stephen Vogt (first season).

He’s Here: RHP Scott Barlow, C Austin Hedges, RHP Carlos Carrasco, RHP Ben Lively, OF Estevan Florial.

He’s Outta Here: Manager Terry Francona, SS Amed Rosario, RHP Aaron Civale, RHP Cal Quantrill, RHP Enyel De Los Santos, DH Josh Bell, C Mike Zunino, 1B Kole Calhoun, RF Oscar Gonzalez.

Top Hitters: 3B José Ramírez (.282, 24 HRs, 82 RBIs, league-leading 22 IBBs), 1B/DH Josh Naylor (.308, 17, 97), LF Steven Kwan (.268, 5, 58, 36 2Bs, 21 SBs), 2B Andrés Giménez (.251, 15, 62, 76 runs), C Bo Naylor (.237, 11, 32 in 198 at-bats as rookie).

Projected Rotation: RH Shane Bieber (6-6, 3.80 ERA, 21 starts due to injuries), RH Tanner Bibee (10-4, 2.98, 141 Ks in 142 IP as rookie), RH Triston McKenzie (0-3, 5.06 in 4 starts due to elbow injury), RH Gavin Williams (3-5, 3.29, 16 starts as rookie), LH Logan Allen (7-8, 3.81, 24 starts).

Key Relievers: RH Emmanuel Clase (3-9, 3.22 ERA, AL-best 44 saves, MLB-high 12 blown saves), RH Scott Barlow (2-6, 4.37 in 63 games for Royals and Padres), LH Sam Hentges (3-2, 3.61 in 56 games), RH Eli Morgan (5-2, 4.01 in 61 games), RH Trevor Stephan (7-7, 4.06 in 71 games).

Outlook: It’s a new start for the Guardians under the 39-year-old Vogt, a journeyman All-Star catcher who has never managed at any level. He’s got big shoes to fill in replacing the beloved Francona, a future Hall of Famer and the winningest manager in franchise history. There are bound to be some growing pains. Cleveland is counting on Bieber and McKenzie to bounce back from injuries and Bibee and Williams to take another step forward. With the exception of Ramírez and Josh Naylor, the Guardians lack power, making it essential for them to manufacture runs and play solid defense. Of course, playing in the wide-open AL Central is a plus and possible path to the postseason for a franchise without a World Series title since 1948.

Manager: Pedro Grifol (second season).

Opening Day: March 28 vs. Detroit.

He’s Here: SS Paul DeJong, RHP Michael Soroka, RHP John Brebbia, C Martín Maldonado, RHP Chris Flexen, RHP Steven Wilson, LHP Tim Hill, RHP Erick Fedde, C Max Stassi.

He’s Outta Here: RHP Dylan Cease, SS Tim Anderson, RHP Liam Hendriks, RHP Mike Clevinger, RHP Gregory Santos, LHP Aaron Bummer, C Yasmani Grandal.

Top Hitters: CF Luis Robert Jr. (.264, 38 HRs, 80 RBIs, .857 OPS), 1B Andrew Vaughn (.258, 21, 80), LF/DH Eloy Jiménez (.272, 18, 64), 3B Yoán Moncada (.260, 11, 40).

Projected Rotation: RH Michael Kopech (5-12, 5.43 ERA), RH Michael Soroka (2-2, 6.40 with Atlanta), RH Erick Fedde (6-13, 5.81 with Washington in 2022), RH Chris Flexen (2-8, 6.86 with Seattle and Colorado), LH Garrett Crochet (0-2, 3.55 in 13 relief appearances).

Key Relievers: RH John Brebbia (3-5, 3.99 ERA with Giants), RH Jesse Chavez (1-0, 1.56 with Atlanta), RH Steven Wilson (1-2, 3.91 with Padres), RH Corey Knebel (3-5, 3.43, 12 saves with Philadelphia in 2022).

Outlook: General manager Chris Getz begins his first full season with a huge task on his hands, trying to lift a team that matched the third-highest loss total in franchise history. And the odds of a quick turnaround don’t look good. Chicago was second-to-last in the majors in runs and gave up more than all but four teams. The club also ranked among the worst on defense. The White Sox declined options on Anderson and Hendriks, letting them go as free agents, and made smaller additions rather than major moves in free agency. The most notable headlines involved chairman Jerry Reinsdorf’s efforts to secure funding for a stadium in the city’s South Loop. Cease, runner-up for the 2022 AL Cy Young Award, was traded to San Diego on March 13 for Wilson and three prospects: right-handers Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte, and outfielder Samuel Zavala.

Manager: Matt Quatraro (second season).

Opening Day: March 28 vs Minnesota.

He’s Here: RHP Kyle Wright, RHP Nick Anderson, RF Hunter Renfroe, RHP Michael Wacha, RHP Chris Stratton, RHP Seth Lugo, LHP Will Smith, 2B Adam Frazier, C Austin Nola.

He’s Outta Here: RHP Jackson Kowar, 3B Matt Duffy, RHP Brad Keller, RHP Zack Greinke, RHP Collin Snider, RHP Jonathan Heasley, RF Edward Olivares, RHP Taylor Clarke, RHP Dylan Coleman, 2B Samad Taylor, RHP Max Castillo.

Top Hitters: SS Bobby Witt Jr. (.276, 30 HRs, 96 RBIs, 49 SBs), C Salvador Perez (.255, 23, 80), 3B Maikel Garcia (.272, 4, 50), OF Hunter Renfroe (.233, 20, 60 with Angels and Reds), 2B Adam Frazier (.240, 13, 60 with Orioles), 1B Vinnie Pasquantino (.247, 9, 26 in 61 games due to injury).

Projected Rotation: RH Michael Wacha (14-4, 3.22 ERA with Padres), LH Cole Ragans (7-5, 3.47 with Rangers and Royals), RH Seth Lugo (8-7, 3.57 with Padres), RH Brady Singer (8-11, 5.52), RH Jordan Lyles (6-17, 6.28).

Key Relievers: LH Will Smith (2-7, 4.40 ERA, 22 saves with Rangers), RH Chris Stratton (2-1, 3.92 with Cardinals and Rangers), RH Nick Anderson (4-0, 3.06 with Braves), RH John Schreiber (2-1, 3.86 with Red Sox), RH Matt Sauer (6-5, 3.41 with Yankees minor league teams), LH Jake Brentz (Tommy John surgery), LH Daniel Lynch IV (3-4, 4.64).

Outlook: The Royals aggressively overhauled their roster in the offseason, signing several veterans with postseason experience to help nurture a young core of promising players. Wacha and Lugo should immediately upgrade the rotation, while Ragans was a revelation after his midseason arrival in a trade with Texas. The Royals need Singer and Lyles to bounce back from tough seasons at the back of the rotation. Almost the entire bullpen is new, with Smith taking over the closer job. In the field, Witt earned MVP votes for his dynamic sophomore season, along with a franchise-record 11-year, $288.7 million contract. Most of the lineup is back intact, although Renfroe and Frazier have arrived to compete for starting jobs. The Royals hope a full season for Pasquantino, who had shoulder surgery last June, gives a big boost to their modest run production. In an AL Central that is wide open, the Royals believe they've made enough moves to compete for the top half of the division. And with ownership pushing voters for a tax referendum on April 2 to help fund a new downtown ballpark, the long-rebuilding Royals must prove to weary fans they once again are committed to winning.

By The Associated PressMINNESOTA TWINS2023: 87-75, first place, lost to Houston in Division Series.Manager: Rocco Baldelli (sixth season).Opening Day: March 28 at Kansas City.He’s Here: 1B Carlos Santana, OF Manuel Margot, RHP Anthony DeSclafani, RHP Justin Topa, LHP Steven Okert, RHP Jay Jackson, RHP Josh Staumont.He’s Outta Here: RHP Sonny Gray, RHP Kenta Maeda, 2B Jorge Polanco, OF Michael A. Taylor, INF Donovan Solano, RHP Emilio Pagán, INF Nick Gordon, RHP Tyler Mahle, OF Joey Gallo.Top Hitters: 3B Royce Lewis (.309, 15 HRs, 52 RBIs in 58 games), SS Carlos Correa (.230, 18, 65), CF Byron Buxton (.207, 17, 42 in 85 games as DH), RF Max Kepler (.260, 24, 66), 2B Edouard Julien (.263, 13, 37, .839 OPS in 109 games).Projected Rotation: RH Pablo López (11-8, 3.66 ERA, 234 Ks in 194 IP), RH Joe Ryan (11-10, 4.51, 197 Ks in 161 2/3 IP), RH Bailey Ober (8-6, 3.43), RH Chris Paddack (5.40 ERA in 2 relief appearances after recovering from Tommy John surgery), RH Anthony DeSclafani (4-8, 4.88 in 99 2/3 IP for Giants).Key Relievers: RH Jhoan Durán (3-6, 2.45 ERA, 27 saves, 84 Ks in 62 1/3 IP), RH Griffin Jax (6-10, 3.86, 4 saves), LH Caleb Thielbar (3-1, 3.23), RH Brock Stewart (2-0, 0.65, 1 save in 27 2/3 IP).Outlook: Free agency took some bite out of their rotation, with Gray and Maeda departing for other clubs, but the Twins remain in solid position to defend their division title with their AL Central competitors posing less of a collective threat than any of MLB’s other divisions. The payroll has been trimmed in response to a dip in regional television revenue, but the low-key acquisitions of Santana and Margot ought to give the lineup a boost of experience, durability and fielding expertise. Most vital to Minnesota’s success will be better health and production from stars Buxton and Correa. Buxton is returning to CF after knee trouble limited him to DH duty in what was mostly a lost season. Paddack, who recovered from Tommy John surgery in time to join the bullpen for the playoffs, will be counted on to help solidify the rotation. DeSclafani and Topa arrived in a trade that sent Polanco to the Mariners, with Julien appearing ready for a full season of action after an impactful rookie year. If Lewis stays healthy, the Twins have a superstar in the making. López and Durán make for a formidable pair of aces for the rotation and bullpen, respectively.___DETROIT TIGERS2023: 78-84, second place.Manager: A.J. Hinch (fourth season).Opening Day: March 28 at Chicago White Sox.He’s Here: RHP Kenta Maeda, RHP Jack Flaherty, RHP Shelby Miller, LHP Andrew Chafin, OF Mark Canha, 3B Gio Urshela, 2B Colt Keith.He’s Outta Here: DH Miguel Cabrera, LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, RHP Michael Lorenzen, C Eric Haase, INF Nick Maton.Top Hitters: DH Kerry Carpenter (.278, 20 HRs, 64 RBIs, .811 OPS), 1B Spencer Torkelson (.233, 31, 94), RF Riley Greene (.288, 11, 31, .796 OPS).Projected Rotation: LH Tarik Skubal (7-3, 2.80 ERA), RH Kenta Maeda (6-8, 4.23 with Twins), RH Jack Flaherty (8-9, 4.99 with Orioles and Cardinals), RH Reese Olson (5-7, 3.99), RH Casey Mize (7-13, 4.29 in career; hasn’t pitched since April 2022) or RH Matt Manning (5-4, 3.58).Key Relievers: RH Alex Lange (7-5, 3.68 ERA, 26/32 saves), RH Jason Foley (3-3, 2.61), RH Shelby Miller (3-0, 1.71 with Dodgers), LH Andrew Chafin (3-4, 4.73 with Diamondbacks and Brewers).Outlook: The Tigers seem to have a shot to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014, potentially taking advantage of a relatively weak division and an improved team. Detroit will lean on Skubal to anchor what could be a solid rotation with Maeda and Flaherty added to replace Rodriguez and Lorenzen. The health of Mize, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2018, and Urshela, coming back from a broken pelvis, may prove to be pivotal. Torkelson, the top pick in 2022, will have a chance to be a designated hitter more often with Cabrera’s retirement. Parker Meadows, a dynamic 24-year-old center fielder, and Keith, who was given a guaranteed deal worth at least $28 million without facing a pitch in the majors, will be intriguing to watch. The franchise is trying to be patient with underperforming shortstop Javier Báez, who enters the third season of a $140 million, six-year contract, after his .593 OPS in 2023 was the second-lowest of his career.___CLEVELAND GUARDIANS2023: 76-86, third place.Manager: Stephen Vogt (first season).Opening Day: March 28 at Oakland.He’s Here: RHP Scott Barlow, C Austin Hedges, RHP Carlos Carrasco, RHP Ben Lively, OF Estevan Florial.He’s Outta Here: Manager Terry Francona, SS Amed Rosario, RHP Aaron Civale, RHP Cal Quantrill, RHP Enyel De Los Santos, DH Josh Bell, C Mike Zunino, 1B Kole Calhoun, RF Oscar Gonzalez.Top Hitters: 3B José Ramírez (.282, 24 HRs, 82 RBIs, league-leading 22 IBBs), 1B/DH Josh Naylor (.308, 17, 97), LF Steven Kwan (.268, 5, 58, 36 2Bs, 21 SBs), 2B Andrés Giménez (.251, 15, 62, 76 runs), C Bo Naylor (.237, 11, 32 in 198 at-bats as rookie).Projected Rotation: RH Shane Bieber (6-6, 3.80 ERA, 21 starts due to injuries), RH Tanner Bibee (10-4, 2.98, 141 Ks in 142 IP as rookie), RH Triston McKenzie (0-3, 5.06 in 4 starts due to elbow injury), RH Gavin Williams (3-5, 3.29, 16 starts as rookie), LH Logan Allen (7-8, 3.81, 24 starts).Key Relievers: RH Emmanuel Clase (3-9, 3.22 ERA, AL-best 44 saves, MLB-high 12 blown saves), RH Scott Barlow (2-6, 4.37 in 63 games for Royals and Padres), LH Sam Hentges (3-2, 3.61 in 56 games), RH Eli Morgan (5-2, 4.01 in 61 games), RH Trevor Stephan (7-7, 4.06 in 71 games).Outlook: It’s a new start for the Guardians under the 39-year-old Vogt, a journeyman All-Star catcher who has never managed at any level. He’s got big shoes to fill in replacing the beloved Francona, a future Hall of Famer and the winningest manager in franchise history. There are bound to be some growing pains. Cleveland is counting on Bieber and McKenzie to bounce back from injuries and Bibee and Williams to take another step forward. With the exception of Ramírez and Josh Naylor, the Guardians lack power, making it essential for them to manufacture runs and play solid defense. Of course, playing in the wide-open AL Central is a plus and possible path to the postseason for a franchise without a World Series title since 1948.___CHICAGO WHITE SOX2023: 61-101, fourth place.Manager: Pedro Grifol (second season).Opening Day: March 28 vs. Detroit.He’s Here: SS Paul DeJong, RHP Michael Soroka, RHP John Brebbia, C Martín Maldonado, RHP Chris Flexen, RHP Steven Wilson, LHP Tim Hill, RHP Erick Fedde, C Max Stassi.He’s Outta Here: RHP Dylan Cease, SS Tim Anderson, RHP Liam Hendriks, RHP Mike Clevinger, RHP Gregory Santos, LHP Aaron Bummer, C Yasmani Grandal.Top Hitters: CF Luis Robert Jr. (.264, 38 HRs, 80 RBIs, .857 OPS), 1B Andrew Vaughn (.258, 21, 80), LF/DH Eloy Jiménez (.272, 18, 64), 3B Yoán Moncada (.260, 11, 40).Projected Rotation: RH Michael Kopech (5-12, 5.43 ERA), RH Michael Soroka (2-2, 6.40 with Atlanta), RH Erick Fedde (6-13, 5.81 with Washington in 2022), RH Chris Flexen (2-8, 6.86 with Seattle and Colorado), LH Garrett Crochet (0-2, 3.55 in 13 relief appearances).Key Relievers: RH John Brebbia (3-5, 3.99 ERA with Giants), RH Jesse Chavez (1-0, 1.56 with Atlanta), RH Steven Wilson (1-2, 3.91 with Padres), RH Corey Knebel (3-5, 3.43, 12 saves with Philadelphia in 2022).Outlook: General manager Chris Getz begins his first full season with a huge task on his hands, trying to lift a team that matched the third-highest loss total in franchise history. And the odds of a quick turnaround don’t look good. Chicago was second-to-last in the majors in runs and gave up more than all but four teams. The club also ranked among the worst on defense. The White Sox declined options on Anderson and Hendriks, letting them go as free agents, and made smaller additions rather than major moves in free agency. The most notable headlines involved chairman Jerry Reinsdorf’s efforts to secure funding for a stadium in the city’s South Loop. Cease, runner-up for the 2022 AL Cy Young Award, was traded to San Diego on March 13 for Wilson and three prospects: right-handers Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte, and outfielder Samuel Zavala.___KANSAS CITY ROYALS2023: 56-106, fifth place.Manager: Matt Quatraro (second season).Opening Day: March 28 vs Minnesota.He’s Here: RHP Kyle Wright, RHP Nick Anderson, RF Hunter Renfroe, RHP Michael Wacha, RHP Chris Stratton, RHP Seth Lugo, LHP Will Smith, 2B Adam Frazier, C Austin Nola.He’s Outta Here: RHP Jackson Kowar, 3B Matt Duffy, RHP Brad Keller, RHP Zack Greinke, RHP Collin Snider, RHP Jonathan Heasley, RF Edward Olivares, RHP Taylor Clarke, RHP Dylan Coleman, 2B Samad Taylor, RHP Max Castillo.Top Hitters: SS Bobby Witt Jr. (.276, 30 HRs, 96 RBIs, 49 SBs), C Salvador Perez (.255, 23, 80), 3B Maikel Garcia (.272, 4, 50), OF Hunter Renfroe (.233, 20, 60 with Angels and Reds), 2B Adam Frazier (.240, 13, 60 with Orioles), 1B Vinnie Pasquantino (.247, 9, 26 in 61 games due to injury).Projected Rotation: RH Michael Wacha (14-4, 3.22 ERA with Padres), LH Cole Ragans (7-5, 3.47 with Rangers and Royals), RH Seth Lugo (8-7, 3.57 with Padres), RH Brady Singer (8-11, 5.52), RH Jordan Lyles (6-17, 6.28).Key Relievers: LH Will Smith (2-7, 4.40 ERA, 22 saves with Rangers), RH Chris Stratton (2-1, 3.92 with Cardinals and Rangers), RH Nick Anderson (4-0, 3.06 with Braves), RH John Schreiber (2-1, 3.86 with Red Sox), RH Matt Sauer (6-5, 3.41 with Yankees minor league teams), LH Jake Brentz (Tommy John surgery), LH Daniel Lynch IV (3-4, 4.64).Outlook: The Royals aggressively overhauled their roster in the offseason, signing several veterans with postseason experience to help nurture a young core of promising players. Wacha and Lugo should immediately upgrade the rotation, while Ragans was a revelation after his midseason arrival in a trade with Texas. The Royals need Singer and Lyles to bounce back from tough seasons at the back of the rotation. Almost the entire bullpen is new, with Smith taking over the closer job. In the field, Witt earned MVP votes for his dynamic sophomore season, along with a franchise-record 11-year, $288.7 million contract. Most of the lineup is back intact, although Renfroe and Frazier have arrived to compete for starting jobs. The Royals hope a full season for Pasquantino, who had shoulder surgery last June, gives a big boost to their modest run production. In an AL Central that is wide open, the Royals believe they've made enough moves to compete for the top half of the division. And with ownership pushing voters for a tax referendum on April 2 to help fund a new downtown ballpark, the long-rebuilding Royals must prove to weary fans they once again are committed to winning.

American League Central Preview Capsules

By RALPH D. RUSSO and LINLEY SANDERS Associated Press

As Dartmouth men's basketball players move toward forming the first labor union in college sports, a majority of Americans say they are against college athletes unionizing — though younger respondents are more supportive.

A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that most adults, 55%, believe NCAA athletes should not be permitted to form unions that would allow them as employees to collectively bargain with their schools.

But younger Americans, Democrats and Independents are more open to unionization. About 6 in 10 adults under the age of 45 support allowing college athletes to form unions. That drops to 36% among those between the ages of 45-59 and 23% of adults ages 60 and older.

Across party lines, 56% of Democrats and about half of Independents say athletes should be permitted to form unions. Only 23% of Republicans are supportive.

In a recent interview with Fox News, Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, a former major college football coach and a harsh critic of unions in general, said athletes unionizing would “absolutely kill college sports."

"You know, the last time I looked, they’re not employees. These students are student-athletes. And if you want the federal government involved and ruin something, you try to make the student-athletes employees,” said Tuberville, who has sponsored a college sports bill that would block employee status.

NCAA President Charlie Baker and other college sports leaders have been lobbying Congress for several years, asking for a federal law to regulate the way athletes can be compensated for use of their names, images and likenesses.

Tuberville and Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia have sponsored one of several bills addressing NIL and other college sports reforms that have been put forth in both the House and Senate over the past four years. None have gotten any traction, with lawmakers focused on more pressing matters.

More recently, the emphasis from college sports leaders has shifted to NCAA antitrust protections that would prevent athletes from being deemed employees, thanks to looming lawsuits.

Baker and others contend the vast majority of the 1,100 NCAA member schools could not afford to treat their athletes as employees and would sponsor fewer teams if athletes were categorized this way.

According to the AP-NORC poll, 55% of non-white adults support college athletes being permitted to form unions. Only 34% of white adults say that unions should be permitted for college athletes.

“This country is not based on unions, but when unions got started, it secured everybody's position in whatever their profession was, so to speak, especially the blue collars," said 62-year-old Eric McWilliams, a Black man from Pennsylvania who's been a part of a union and participated in the poll. "These college athletes aren't making millions of dollars like the pros are. They have nothing really to fall back on. If they get injured, it's over.”

Last month, a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board ruled Dartmouth's men's basketball players qualified for employee status, paving the way for team members to vote if they it wanted to join a union.

On March 5, the players voted 13-2 to join Service Employees International Union Local 560, which already represents some Dartmouth workers. The school has asked for a review — essentially appealing the regional director's initial ruling — which could result in a lengthy process to determine if Dartmouth will ever be required to negotiate with the players.

Still, it was a significant milestone for those who have been advocating for some — if not all — college athletes to be recognized as employees and receive a greater share of the revenue that college football and basketball generate for schools and conferences that compete at the highest levels.

The media and marketing rights for the NCAA men's Division I basketball tournament, which begins next week, generated $945 million in revenue for the association and its member schools last year.

"Now it’s time for the colleges to stop wasting their time and money fighting athletes in court and lobbying Congress to roll back athletes’ rights, and instead start negotiating with athletes on revenue-sharing, health and safety protections, and more,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said.

The survey found 53% of U.S. adults say colleges and universities with major athletic programs should provide athletes with a share of any revenue received from broadcast rights. However, less than half support giving athletes additional spending money, a salary or exemptions from certain academic courses that they need to graduate.

“I think that really the credit towards progress has always gone to athletes,” said Ramogi Huma, the executive director of the advocacy group the National College Players Association, which has pushed for college athletes in revenue-generating programs to be deemed employees. “This is brick by brick by brick.”

Huma helped organize a labor movement among Northwestern football players in 2015 that started similarly to the one at Dartmouth, with a regional NLRB director ruling the players could vote to join a union. The initial ruling was eventually dismissed.

In the Dartmouth case, the players appeared to be acting on their own, though college sports leaders, including Baker, have said repeatedly the majority of athletes they interact with do not want to be employees of their schools.

Isaac Vance is a former college football at Kent State who served on the NCAA's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for three years before ending his college career this past season.

Vance told AP recently that he fears a more professionalized model of college athletics that includes employee status, labor unions and collective bargaining would end up hurting college athletes.

“It just gets rid of the scholastic model that ... so many great experiences have been built off of and then it turns into a semi-pro league, and truthfully at that point, it really becomes — especially in football, basketball — pay-for-play and also becomes a business,” Vance said.

By RALPH D. RUSSO and LINLEY SANDERS Associated PressAs Dartmouth men's basketball players move toward forming the first labor union in college sports, a majority of Americans say they are against college athletes unionizing — though younger respondents are more supportive.A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that most adults, 55%, believe NCAA athletes should not be permitted to form unions that would allow them as employees to collectively bargain with their schools.But younger Americans, Democrats and Independents are more open to unionization. About 6 in 10 adults under the age of 45 support allowing college athletes to form unions. That drops to 36% among those between the ages of 45-59 and 23% of adults ages 60 and older.Across party lines, 56% of Democrats and about half of Independents say athletes should be permitted to form unions. Only 23% of Republicans are supportive.In a recent interview with Fox News, Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, a former major college football coach and a harsh critic of unions in general, said athletes unionizing would “absolutely kill college sports.""You know, the last time I looked, they’re not employees. These students are student-athletes. And if you want the federal government involved and ruin something, you try to make the student-athletes employees,” said Tuberville, who has sponsored a college sports bill that would block employee status.NCAA President Charlie Baker and other college sports leaders have been lobbying Congress for several years, asking for a federal law to regulate the way athletes can be compensated for use of their names, images and likenesses.Tuberville and Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia have sponsored one of several bills addressing NIL and other college sports reforms that have been put forth in both the House and Senate over the past four years. None have gotten any traction, with lawmakers focused on more pressing matters.More recently, the emphasis from college sports leaders has shifted to NCAA antitrust protections that would prevent athletes from being deemed employees, thanks to looming lawsuits.Baker and others contend the vast majority of the 1,100 NCAA member schools could not afford to treat their athletes as employees and would sponsor fewer teams if athletes were categorized this way.According to the AP-NORC poll, 55% of non-white adults support college athletes being permitted to form unions. Only 34% of white adults say that unions should be permitted for college athletes.“This country is not based on unions, but when unions got started, it secured everybody's position in whatever their profession was, so to speak, especially the blue collars," said 62-year-old Eric McWilliams, a Black man from Pennsylvania who's been a part of a union and participated in the poll. "These college athletes aren't making millions of dollars like the pros are. They have nothing really to fall back on. If they get injured, it's over.”Last month, a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board ruled Dartmouth's men's basketball players qualified for employee status, paving the way for team members to vote if they it wanted to join a union.On March 5, the players voted 13-2 to join Service Employees International Union Local 560, which already represents some Dartmouth workers. The school has asked for a review — essentially appealing the regional director's initial ruling — which could result in a lengthy process to determine if Dartmouth will ever be required to negotiate with the players.Still, it was a significant milestone for those who have been advocating for some — if not all — college athletes to be recognized as employees and receive a greater share of the revenue that college football and basketball generate for schools and conferences that compete at the highest levels.The media and marketing rights for the NCAA men's Division I basketball tournament, which begins next week, generated $945 million in revenue for the association and its member schools last year."Now it’s time for the colleges to stop wasting their time and money fighting athletes in court and lobbying Congress to roll back athletes’ rights, and instead start negotiating with athletes on revenue-sharing, health and safety protections, and more,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said.The survey found 53% of U.S. adults say colleges and universities with major athletic programs should provide athletes with a share of any revenue received from broadcast rights. However, less than half support giving athletes additional spending money, a salary or exemptions from certain academic courses that they need to graduate.“I think that really the credit towards progress has always gone to athletes,” said Ramogi Huma, the executive director of the advocacy group the National College Players Association, which has pushed for college athletes in revenue-generating programs to be deemed employees. “This is brick by brick by brick.”Huma helped organize a labor movement among Northwestern football players in 2015 that started similarly to the one at Dartmouth, with a regional NLRB director ruling the players could vote to join a union. The initial ruling was eventually dismissed.In the Dartmouth case, the players appeared to be acting on their own, though college sports leaders, including Baker, have said repeatedly the majority of athletes they interact with do not want to be employees of their schools.Isaac Vance is a former college football at Kent State who served on the NCAA's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for three years before ending his college career this past season.Vance told AP recently that he fears a more professionalized model of college athletics that includes employee status, labor unions and collective bargaining would end up hurting college athletes.“It just gets rid of the scholastic model that ... so many great experiences have been built off of and then it turns into a semi-pro league, and truthfully at that point, it really becomes — especially in football, basketball — pay-for-play and also becomes a business,” Vance said.___

Majority of U.S. adults are against college athletes joining unions

- Barton Lady Cougar basketball coach Alan Clark preview's Friday afternoon Region 6 Semifinal matchup with No.1 and 31-0 Hutchinson.

- Barton Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs joins the show to talk about the spring sports season and having two teams with the opportunity to reach the NJCAA Basketball Tournament.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/cku2wegf/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>- Barton Lady Cougar basketball coach Alan Clark preview's Friday afternoon Region 6 Semifinal matchup with No.1 and 31-0 Hutchinson.- Barton Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs joins the show to talk about the spring sports season and having two teams with the opportunity to reach the NJCAA Basketball Tournament.- Thursday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Thursday on Sports Day (Listen)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cincinnati coach Wes Miller admitted he was up late preparing to face No. 16 Kansas in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament, and a big reason why was he didn't know how the Jayhawks would play without Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr.

The conference's two leading scorers were out with injuries Wednesday night.

“It was hard. You take out two guys who have done so much all year, both ends of the floor, you don't know how they're going to adjust. That part is difficult,” Miller said. “I thought our guys did a nice job with the game plan.”

So nice, in fact, the Bearcats were able to empty their bench in the final minute.

Dan Skillings Jr. poured in 25 points, John Newman III added 12 and the No. 11 seed Bearcats rolled to a 72-52 victory, picking up another important win for their resume as they try to elbow their way into the NCAA Tournament.

Up next for Cincinnati (20-14) is No. 14 Baylor — the third seed in the league tourney — in the quarterfinals Thursday.

“We didn't start the year to say, ‘Hey, the goal is to get to 20 wins.' We’re not popping champagne or anything like that,” Miller said. “You do recognize things that have value, and getting 20 wins is something.”

Dickinson missed the game after dislocating his shoulder in a 30-point loss to Houston last weekend, while McCullar has been dealing with a knee injury. Coach Bill Self expects both to practice Monday ahead of the NCAA Tournament, but that didn't help the 12-time Big 12 Tournament champions when they stepped on the floor against the Bearcats.

In fact, the situation grew more dire for the Jayhawks when, trailing 43-38 with just over 10 minutes left, they watched Elmarko Jackson come up hobbling, then saw KJ Adams Jr. crash to the floor defending a fast break and briefly leave the game.

Adams returned to lead No. 6 seed Kansas (22-10) with 22 points. Jackson also was able to finish and scored five.

“Obviously we were bad offensively and didn't make shots — didn't make any shots,” Self said, “and today was a night that things had to go a lot better for us shooting the basketball to have a chance.”

The fact that the Jayhawks were close at all in the second half was noteworthy.

Day Day Thomas, who hit seven 3s and scored 29 points in Cincinnati's opening win over West Virginia, remained hot from behind the arc in the first half. Simas Lukosius, who also had seven 3s and scored 31 a day earlier, did some damage at the rim. And by the time the Jayhawks came up empty on a final possession of the first half, they were facing a 38-25 hole.

Kansas dug out by holding the Bearcats to a 1-for-13 start from the field in the second half, and they were helped by a heavily pro-Jayhawks crowd inside T-Mobile Center that roared when their team closed within 40-38 with 13:30 to go.

But Kansas kept missing open looks, and that gave the Bearcats an opportunity to rebuild their lead.

"That start of the second half, we just got really stagnant. We had some good looks early, they didn't go, and we got a little tight and stopped playing aggressively," Miller said. "I thought our guys looked around and said, 'We’re going to go do it,’ and we got aggressive again, and then we had some good things happen.”

Self was back on the sideline after missing last year's Big 12 tourney when he was hospitalized with a heart issue. Kansas went to the finals without him, losing there to Texas, before playing without the Hall of Fame coach in the NCAA Tournament.

“Yeah, a year ago today I was messed up,” Self said. “So yeah, from that standpoint, I feel a heck of a lot better than a year ago, and today I'm not exactly happy or feeling great.”

Cincinnati lost 62-59 at Baylor on Jan. 13 when Lukosius missed two 3s in the closing seconds. The rematch will be even tougher with the Bears rested and the Bearcats playing for the third time in three days.

Kansas was once considered a potential No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. Now, it could be looking at the No. 4 or 5 line on Selection Sunday. The big question is how much the selection committee will weigh the Jayhawks' injuries.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cincinnati coach Wes Miller admitted he was up late preparing to face No. 16 Kansas in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament, and a big reason why was he didn't know how the Jayhawks would play without Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr.The conference's two leading scorers were out with injuries Wednesday night.“It was hard. You take out two guys who have done so much all year, both ends of the floor, you don't know how they're going to adjust. That part is difficult,” Miller said. “I thought our guys did a nice job with the game plan.”So nice, in fact, the Bearcats were able to empty their bench in the final minute.Dan Skillings Jr. poured in 25 points, John Newman III added 12 and the No. 11 seed Bearcats rolled to a 72-52 victory, picking up another important win for their resume as they try to elbow their way into the NCAA Tournament.Up next for Cincinnati (20-14) is No. 14 Baylor — the third seed in the league tourney — in the quarterfinals Thursday.“We didn't start the year to say, ‘Hey, the goal is to get to 20 wins.' We’re not popping champagne or anything like that,” Miller said. “You do recognize things that have value, and getting 20 wins is something.”Dickinson missed the game after dislocating his shoulder in a 30-point loss to Houston last weekend, while McCullar has been dealing with a knee injury. Coach Bill Self expects both to practice Monday ahead of the NCAA Tournament, but that didn't help the 12-time Big 12 Tournament champions when they stepped on the floor against the Bearcats.In fact, the situation grew more dire for the Jayhawks when, trailing 43-38 with just over 10 minutes left, they watched Elmarko Jackson come up hobbling, then saw KJ Adams Jr. crash to the floor defending a fast break and briefly leave the game.Adams returned to lead No. 6 seed Kansas (22-10) with 22 points. Jackson also was able to finish and scored five.“Obviously we were bad offensively and didn't make shots — didn't make any shots,” Self said, “and today was a night that things had to go a lot better for us shooting the basketball to have a chance.”The fact that the Jayhawks were close at all in the second half was noteworthy.Day Day Thomas, who hit seven 3s and scored 29 points in Cincinnati's opening win over West Virginia, remained hot from behind the arc in the first half. Simas Lukosius, who also had seven 3s and scored 31 a day earlier, did some damage at the rim. And by the time the Jayhawks came up empty on a final possession of the first half, they were facing a 38-25 hole.Kansas dug out by holding the Bearcats to a 1-for-13 start from the field in the second half, and they were helped by a heavily pro-Jayhawks crowd inside T-Mobile Center that roared when their team closed within 40-38 with 13:30 to go.But Kansas kept missing open looks, and that gave the Bearcats an opportunity to rebuild their lead."That start of the second half, we just got really stagnant. We had some good looks early, they didn't go, and we got a little tight and stopped playing aggressively," Miller said. "I thought our guys looked around and said, 'We’re going to go do it,’ and we got aggressive again, and then we had some good things happen.”SILVER LININGSelf was back on the sideline after missing last year's Big 12 tourney when he was hospitalized with a heart issue. Kansas went to the finals without him, losing there to Texas, before playing without the Hall of Fame coach in the NCAA Tournament.“Yeah, a year ago today I was messed up,” Self said. “So yeah, from that standpoint, I feel a heck of a lot better than a year ago, and today I'm not exactly happy or feeling great.”UP NEXTCincinnati lost 62-59 at Baylor on Jan. 13 when Lukosius missed two 3s in the closing seconds. The rematch will be even tougher with the Bears rested and the Bearcats playing for the third time in three days.Kansas was once considered a potential No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. Now, it could be looking at the No. 4 or 5 line on Selection Sunday. The big question is how much the selection committee will weigh the Jayhawks' injuries.

Dan Skillings Jr. scores 25, Cincinnati beats short-handed No. 16 Kansas 72-52

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Colby Rogers had 22 points in 12th-seeded Wichita State's 88-81 win against 13th-seeded Rice on Wednesday in the American Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Shockers (14-18) face fifth-seeded Memphis in the second round on Thursday.

Rogers went 8 of 18 from the field (5 for 9 from 3-point range) for the Shockers. Ronnie DeGray III scored 15 points while going 6 of 11 (3 for 5 from 3-point range) and added eight rebounds. Bijan Cortes had 12 points and went 5 of 8 from the field.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Colby Rogers had 22 points in 12th-seeded Wichita State's 88-81 win against 13th-seeded Rice on Wednesday in the American Athletic Conference Tournament.The Shockers (14-18) face fifth-seeded Memphis in the second round on Thursday.Rogers went 8 of 18 from the field (5 for 9 from 3-point range) for the Shockers. Ronnie DeGray III scored 15 points while going 6 of 11 (3 for 5 from 3-point range) and added eight rebounds. Bijan Cortes had 12 points and went 5 of 8 from the field.

Rogers scores 22 as Wichita State defeats Rice 88-81 in AAC Tournament opener

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tylor Perry scored 21 points, making four pressure-filled free throws down the stretch, and No. 10 seed Kansas State rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat seventh-seeded Texas 78-74 in the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night.

Arthur Kaluma added 14 points, David N'Guessan had 13 and Dai Dai Ames and Cam Carter finished with 10 apiece for the Wildcats (19-13), who gave their flickering NCAA Tournament hopes a big boost by following their upset of sixth-ranked Iowa State to end the regular season with a win over the Longhorns.

Now, they get another shot at the Cyclones — the No. 2 seed in the tournament — in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

The Longhorns (20-12), who led 39-29 at the half before falling behind 67-57 late in the game, gave themselves a chance when Dylan Disu — the tournament MVP a year ago — scored on a putback to get within 70-68 with 28 seconds to go.

But when Kansas State inbounded the ball to Perry, and he was hammered by the Longhorns' Chendall Weaver, the officials assessed him a flagrant foul. Perry hit both free throws, and when the Wildcats retained possession and inbounded again, Carter caught a deep throw down the court and laid it in for a 74-68 lead with 18 seconds left.

Abmas answered with a 3 for the Longhorns, and Perry calmly made two more free throws. And when the Texas guard hit one more 3 with 8 seconds left, Carter stepped to the line and made his two foul shots to put the game away.

Abmas finished with 26 points to lead Texas. Ithiel Horton had 14 points and Dillon Mitchell scored 13, while star guard Tyrese Hunter was held to three points on 0-for-7 shooting from the field.

The Wildcats' biggest problem early on was turnovers, just as it has been all season. They entered the game 338th out of 351 teams in Division I in giving the ball away, and they did it eight more times in the first half against Texas. Several turned into run-outs for the Longhorns, whose edge in points-off-turnovers nearly matched their lead for the game.

When the Wildcats began valuing the ball in the second half, their comeback was on.

Kaluma took it upon himself to drive for a series of tough buckets early in the half, not only drawing Kansas State closer but getting Disu and Brock Cunningham into foul trouble. And when Perry hit a 3-pointer from near the midcourt line with the shot-clock winding down, the Wildcats had pulled ahead 48-47 with 12:30 remaining in the game.

Kansas State still led 69-64 with just over two minutes to go when Abmas made a falling-sideways 3-pointer from right in front of the Texas bench, then got another bucket to go moments later, making it a three-point game in the final minute.

Texas hoped to improve its NCAA Tournament seed in Kansas City. It will likely be on the 8- or 9-line come Sunday.

Kansas State split with the Cyclones in the regular season, losing on the road before winning last Saturday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tylor Perry scored 21 points, making four pressure-filled free throws down the stretch, and No. 10 seed Kansas State rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat seventh-seeded Texas 78-74 in the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night.Arthur Kaluma added 14 points, David N'Guessan had 13 and Dai Dai Ames and Cam Carter finished with 10 apiece for the Wildcats (19-13), who gave their flickering NCAA Tournament hopes a big boost by following their upset of sixth-ranked Iowa State to end the regular season with a win over the Longhorns.Now, they get another shot at the Cyclones — the No. 2 seed in the tournament — in the quarterfinals on Thursday.The Longhorns (20-12), who led 39-29 at the half before falling behind 67-57 late in the game, gave themselves a chance when Dylan Disu — the tournament MVP a year ago — scored on a putback to get within 70-68 with 28 seconds to go.But when Kansas State inbounded the ball to Perry, and he was hammered by the Longhorns' Chendall Weaver, the officials assessed him a flagrant foul. Perry hit both free throws, and when the Wildcats retained possession and inbounded again, Carter caught a deep throw down the court and laid it in for a 74-68 lead with 18 seconds left.Abmas answered with a 3 for the Longhorns, and Perry calmly made two more free throws. And when the Texas guard hit one more 3 with 8 seconds left, Carter stepped to the line and made his two foul shots to put the game away.Abmas finished with 26 points to lead Texas. Ithiel Horton had 14 points and Dillon Mitchell scored 13, while star guard Tyrese Hunter was held to three points on 0-for-7 shooting from the field.The Wildcats' biggest problem early on was turnovers, just as it has been all season. They entered the game 338th out of 351 teams in Division I in giving the ball away, and they did it eight more times in the first half against Texas. Several turned into run-outs for the Longhorns, whose edge in points-off-turnovers nearly matched their lead for the game.When the Wildcats began valuing the ball in the second half, their comeback was on.Kaluma took it upon himself to drive for a series of tough buckets early in the half, not only drawing Kansas State closer but getting Disu and Brock Cunningham into foul trouble. And when Perry hit a 3-pointer from near the midcourt line with the shot-clock winding down, the Wildcats had pulled ahead 48-47 with 12:30 remaining in the game.Kansas State still led 69-64 with just over two minutes to go when Abmas made a falling-sideways 3-pointer from right in front of the Texas bench, then got another bucket to go moments later, making it a three-point game in the final minute.UP NEXTTexas hoped to improve its NCAA Tournament seed in Kansas City. It will likely be on the 8- or 9-line come Sunday.Kansas State split with the Cyclones in the regular season, losing on the road before winning last Saturday.

No. 10 seed Kansas State rallies to beat No. 7 seed Texas 78-74

Big 12 Second RoundBYU 87, UCF 73TCU 77, Oklahoma 70Kansas St. 78, Texas 74Cincinnati 72, Kansas 52American Athletic First RoundWichita St. 88, Rice 81Temple 64, UTSA 61Atlantic Coast Second RoundFlorida St. 86, Virginia Tech 76Wake Forest 72, Notre Dame 59NC State 83, Syracuse 65Boston College 76, Clemson 55Big East First RoundXavier 76, Butler 72Providence 74, Georgetown 56Villanova 58, DePaul 57Big Ten First RoundMaryland 65, Rutgers 51Penn St. 66, Michigan 57Pacific-12 Conference First RoundSouthern Cal 80, Washington 74UCLA 67, Oregon St. 57Stanford 87, California 76, OTUtah 90, Arizona St. 57Southeastern First RoundArkansas 90, Vanderbilt 85, OTGeorgia 64, Missouri 59

Thursday Post Season Tournament Scores


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —
Tylor Perry scored 21 points, making four pressure-filled free throws
down the stretch, and No. 10 seed Kansas State rallied from a
10-point halftime deficit to beat seventh-seeded Texas 78-74 in the
Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night. The Wildcats advanced to play
second-seeded Iowa State in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Arthur
Kaluma added 14 points, David N’Guessan had 13 and Dai Dai Ames and
Cam Carter finished with 10 apiece for the Wildcats, who gave their
flickering NCAA Tournament hopes a big boost. Max Abmas made a series
of 3-pointers in the final minute to give Texas a chance and finished
with 26 points. But his backcourt mate Tyrese Hunter was held to
three points on 0-for-7 shooting.


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Dan
Skillings Jr. scored 25 points to help Cincinnati beat No. 16 Kansas
72-52 in the Big 12 Tournament. The Jayhawks were missing the
league's top two scorers, Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr.
Dickinson dislocated his shoulder in a loss to Houston last weekend
and McCullar has been dealing with a knee injury. The No. 11 seed
Bearcats took advantage on their way to a quarterfinal matchup with
No. 14 Baylor in the quarterfinal round. KJ Adams Jr. got banged up
during the game but was able to finish for Kansas, and he led the way
with 22 points.


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —
Fousseyni Traore had 14 points and 10 rebounds, Richie Saunders
scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half and No. 20 BYU beat UCF
87-73 in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament. The Cougars
scored the game's first 14 points as part of a 21-3 run to start the
game, only for UCF to close within three in the second half. But the
comeback fizzled and it was the Cougars who advanced to play No. 25
Texas Tech in the quarterfinal round. Darius Johnson hit six
3-pointers and had 32 points for the Knights, who beat Oklahoma State
in the first round.


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —
Emanuel Miller had 26 points and eight rebounds, Jameer Nelson Jr.
added 14 points and No. 8 seed TCU beat No. 9 seed Oklahoma 77-70
victory in the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday. The Horned Frogs
advanced to play top-ranked Houston on Thursday. TCU dealt the No. 1
seed Cougars one of their three conference losses when they met in
the regular season. Jalon Moore and Otega Oweh had 16 points apiece
to lead Oklahoma in its last Big 12 Tournament before heading to the
SEC. Milos Uzan finished with 15 points and Le’Tre Darthard had 12
for the Sooners.


CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The
NCAA says athletes who have transferred multiple times can compete in
the next academic year. The NCAA issued the updated guidance
Wednesday, with college basketball’s portal season about to tip
off. In December, multiple-transfer athletes who were denied the
chance to compete immediately were allowed by a court to play through
the remainder of this academic year. The NCAA says while it's not
certain whether the preliminary injunction will remain in place
during the 2024-25 season, multiple-transfer athletes won’t have to
sit out one year. However, transfer window notification rules must be
followed. The window for college basketball runs from March 18 to May
1.


UNDATED (AP) — West Virginia
has opened a search for a new men’s basketball coach as it tries to
put behind one of the worst seasons in school history. Athletic
director Wren Baker says he hopes to have a coach hired by early next
month. Interim coach Josh Eilert led the Mountaineers to a 9-23
record, including a loss to Cincinnati in the Big 12 Tournament on
Tuesday. Baker says he informed Eilert, his staff and the team upon
their return that the school is moving forward with its search plans.
West Virginia set a school record for losses. Eilert took over last
summer after the resignation of Bob Huggins.


UNDATED (AP) — The College
Football Playoff is moving toward a revenue-sharing agreement between
the participating conferences that it needs to finalize a new
television contact with ESPN. But discussions of what the format for
the postseason system will be starting in 2026 are being tabled.
Conferences officials were meeting separately this week with members
to consider a deal that would commit them to the College Football
Playoff for another six years, three people with knowledge of the
CFP’s latest discussions told The Associated Press. The people
spoke on condition of anonymity because the CFP’s internal
discussions were not being made public.


UNDATED (AP) — The Tennessee
Titans landed wide receiver Calvin Ridley when free agency opened
Wednesday. Ridley's four-year, $92 million deal includes $50 million
in guarantees, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement.
It comes one day after the Titans lost longtime running back Derrick
Henry to the Baltimore Ravens. The league's teams are reshaping their
rosters in pursuit of two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas
City. But the Chiefs have made several moves to keep their
championship core intact.


UNDATED (AP) — The Las Vegas
Raiders kicked off the start of the new league year by releasing
quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and receiver Hunter Renfrow to give the
new regime more room to operate under the salary cap. The Raiders
also released backup quarterback Brian Hoyer and defensive tackle
Jerry Tillery just minutes after the start of the 2024 league year.
The moves create significant salary cap space for the Raiders to use
this offseason as a new regime led by general manager Tom Telesco and
coach Antonio Pierce looks to build the team into a contender.


UNDATED (AP) — The
Indianapolis Colts are proposing a rule change that would allow for
challenges of penalty calls in the last two minutes of the half. The
NFL released a list of several rule change proposals on Wednesday
made by teams that included an option to run a fourth-and-20 play in
lieu of an onside kick, the moving of the trade deadline and giving
teams an additional challenge if they are successful on one of their
first two tries. The competition committee will make its own rule
change proposals next week and owners are scheduled to vote on them
at the league meetings later this month with 24 votes needed for
approval.


UNDATED (AP) — The San Diego
Padres have acquired right-hander Dylan Cease in a trade with the
Chicago White Sox for reliever Steven Wilson and three prospects:
right-handers Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte, and outfielder Samuel
Zavala. Cease, who turned 28 in December, was second in AL Cy Young
Award voting in 2022 after going 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA. He went 7-9
with a 4.58 ERA last year for a White Sox team that went 61-101.
Cease joins a rotation that includes Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove. He
agreed in January to an $8 million, one-year contract and is eligible
for free agency after the 2025 World Series.


TAMPA, Fla (AP) — New York
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole traveled to Los Angeles to see specialist Dr.
Neal ElAttrache for additional tests on his right elbow. Yankees
manager Aaron Boone said he has no timetable for how long Cole will
be sidelined. ElAttrache is the Los Angeles Dodgers head team
physician and is an expert on elbows. Cole, the reigning AL Cy Young
Award winner, has made at least 30 starts in each of the last six
full regular seasons. He had an MRI on Monday and X-rays and a CT
scan on Tuesday.


TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Boston
Red Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito is expected to miss this season
after his right ulnar collateral ligament was repaired with an
internal brace. Dr. Jeffrey R. Dugas operated Tuesday at the Andrews
Sports Medicine &amp; Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
Giolito was able to avoid ligament replacement surgery, which he had
on Aug. 31, 2012, with Dr. Lewis Yocum, less than two months after
Washington made Giolito its tops pick in the 2012 amateur draft. Red
Sox manager Alex Cora says he doesn’t think Giolito will take the
mound again in 2024.

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 </figure>
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —
Tylor Perry scored 21 points, making four pressure-filled free throws
down the stretch, and No. 10 seed Kansas State rallied from a
10-point halftime deficit to beat seventh-seeded Texas 78-74 in the
Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night. The Wildcats advanced to play
second-seeded Iowa State in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Arthur
Kaluma added 14 points, David N’Guessan had 13 and Dai Dai Ames and
Cam Carter finished with 10 apiece for the Wildcats, who gave their
flickering NCAA Tournament hopes a big boost. Max Abmas made a series
of 3-pointers in the final minute to give Texas a chance and finished
with 26 points. But his backcourt mate Tyrese Hunter was held to
three points on 0-for-7 shooting.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Dan
Skillings Jr. scored 25 points to help Cincinnati beat No. 16 Kansas
72-52 in the Big 12 Tournament. The Jayhawks were missing the
league's top two scorers, Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr.
Dickinson dislocated his shoulder in a loss to Houston last weekend
and McCullar has been dealing with a knee injury. The No. 11 seed
Bearcats took advantage on their way to a quarterfinal matchup with
No. 14 Baylor in the quarterfinal round. KJ Adams Jr. got banged up
during the game but was able to finish for Kansas, and he led the way
with 22 points.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —
Fousseyni Traore had 14 points and 10 rebounds, Richie Saunders
scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half and No. 20 BYU beat UCF
87-73 in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament. The Cougars
scored the game's first 14 points as part of a 21-3 run to start the
game, only for UCF to close within three in the second half. But the
comeback fizzled and it was the Cougars who advanced to play No. 25
Texas Tech in the quarterfinal round. Darius Johnson hit six
3-pointers and had 32 points for the Knights, who beat Oklahoma State
in the first round.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —
Emanuel Miller had 26 points and eight rebounds, Jameer Nelson Jr.
added 14 points and No. 8 seed TCU beat No. 9 seed Oklahoma 77-70
victory in the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday. The Horned Frogs
advanced to play top-ranked Houston on Thursday. TCU dealt the No. 1
seed Cougars one of their three conference losses when they met in
the regular season. Jalon Moore and Otega Oweh had 16 points apiece
to lead Oklahoma in its last Big 12 Tournament before heading to the
SEC. Milos Uzan finished with 15 points and Le’Tre Darthard had 12
for the Sooners.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The
NCAA says athletes who have transferred multiple times can compete in
the next academic year. The NCAA issued the updated guidance
Wednesday, with college basketball’s portal season about to tip
off. In December, multiple-transfer athletes who were denied the
chance to compete immediately were allowed by a court to play through
the remainder of this academic year. The NCAA says while it's not
certain whether the preliminary injunction will remain in place
during the 2024-25 season, multiple-transfer athletes won’t have to
sit out one year. However, transfer window notification rules must be
followed. The window for college basketball runs from March 18 to May
1.
UNDATED (AP) — West Virginia
has opened a search for a new men’s basketball coach as it tries to
put behind one of the worst seasons in school history. Athletic
director Wren Baker says he hopes to have a coach hired by early next
month. Interim coach Josh Eilert led the Mountaineers to a 9-23
record, including a loss to Cincinnati in the Big 12 Tournament on
Tuesday. Baker says he informed Eilert, his staff and the team upon
their return that the school is moving forward with its search plans.
West Virginia set a school record for losses. Eilert took over last
summer after the resignation of Bob Huggins.
UNDATED (AP) — The College
Football Playoff is moving toward a revenue-sharing agreement between
the participating conferences that it needs to finalize a new
television contact with ESPN. But discussions of what the format for
the postseason system will be starting in 2026 are being tabled.
Conferences officials were meeting separately this week with members
to consider a deal that would commit them to the College Football
Playoff for another six years, three people with knowledge of the
CFP’s latest discussions told The Associated Press. The people
spoke on condition of anonymity because the CFP’s internal
discussions were not being made public.
UNDATED (AP) — The Tennessee
Titans landed wide receiver Calvin Ridley when free agency opened
Wednesday. Ridley's four-year, $92 million deal includes $50 million
in guarantees, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement.
It comes one day after the Titans lost longtime running back Derrick
Henry to the Baltimore Ravens. The league's teams are reshaping their
rosters in pursuit of two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas
City. But the Chiefs have made several moves to keep their
championship core intact.
UNDATED (AP) — The Las Vegas
Raiders kicked off the start of the new league year by releasing
quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and receiver Hunter Renfrow to give the
new regime more room to operate under the salary cap. The Raiders
also released backup quarterback Brian Hoyer and defensive tackle
Jerry Tillery just minutes after the start of the 2024 league year.
The moves create significant salary cap space for the Raiders to use
this offseason as a new regime led by general manager Tom Telesco and
coach Antonio Pierce looks to build the team into a contender.
UNDATED (AP) — The
Indianapolis Colts are proposing a rule change that would allow for
challenges of penalty calls in the last two minutes of the half. The
NFL released a list of several rule change proposals on Wednesday
made by teams that included an option to run a fourth-and-20 play in
lieu of an onside kick, the moving of the trade deadline and giving
teams an additional challenge if they are successful on one of their
first two tries. The competition committee will make its own rule
change proposals next week and owners are scheduled to vote on them
at the league meetings later this month with 24 votes needed for
approval.
UNDATED (AP) — The San Diego
Padres have acquired right-hander Dylan Cease in a trade with the
Chicago White Sox for reliever Steven Wilson and three prospects:
right-handers Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte, and outfielder Samuel
Zavala. Cease, who turned 28 in December, was second in AL Cy Young
Award voting in 2022 after going 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA. He went 7-9
with a 4.58 ERA last year for a White Sox team that went 61-101.
Cease joins a rotation that includes Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove. He
agreed in January to an $8 million, one-year contract and is eligible
for free agency after the 2025 World Series.
TAMPA, Fla (AP) — New York
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole traveled to Los Angeles to see specialist Dr.
Neal ElAttrache for additional tests on his right elbow. Yankees
manager Aaron Boone said he has no timetable for how long Cole will
be sidelined. ElAttrache is the Los Angeles Dodgers head team
physician and is an expert on elbows. Cole, the reigning AL Cy Young
Award winner, has made at least 30 starts in each of the last six
full regular seasons. He had an MRI on Monday and X-rays and a CT
scan on Tuesday.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Boston
Red Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito is expected to miss this season
after his right ulnar collateral ligament was repaired with an
internal brace. Dr. Jeffrey R. Dugas operated Tuesday at the Andrews
Sports Medicine &amp; Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
Giolito was able to avoid ligament replacement surgery, which he had
on Aug. 31, 2012, with Dr. Lewis Yocum, less than two months after
Washington made Giolito its tops pick in the 2012 amateur draft. Red
Sox manager Alex Cora says he doesn’t think Giolito will take the
mound again in 2024.TOP-25
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final	Cincinnati	72	(16)Kansas	52	
Final	(20)BYU	87	UCF	73MAJOR
LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUE
Final	Philadelphia	4	Detroit	1	
Final	Toronto	10	Pittsburgh	3	
Final	Seattle	8	L.A.
Dodgers	1	
Final	Chicago
Cubs	8	Cleveland	3	
Final	Chicago White
Sox	15	Milwaukee	4	
Final	San Diego	12	Oakland	11	
Final	Atlanta	7	Baltimore	5	
Final	N.Y. Mets	6	Houston	5	
Final	St. Louis	1	Minnesota	1	AMERICAN
LEAGUE
Final	Tampa Bay	4	Minnesota	3	
Final	Boston	9	N.Y. Yankees	4	
Final	Kansas City	3	L.A.
Angels	2	NATIONAL
LEAGUE
Final	Washington	2	Miami	1	
Final	Colorado	7	Arizona	5	
Final	Cincinnati	19	San
Francisco	11	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final	Detroit	113	Toronto	104	
Final	Orlando	114	Brooklyn	106	
Final	Denver	100	Miami	88	
Final	Cleveland	116	New
Orleans	95	
Final	Charlotte	110	Memphis	98	
Final
OT	Chicago	132	Indiana	129	
Final	Dallas	109	Golden
State	99	
Final	Portland	106	Atlanta	102	
Final	Sacramento	120	L.A.
Lakers	107	NATIONAL
HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final	St. Louis	3	Los
Angeles	1	
Final	Nashville	4	Winnipeg	2	
Final	Edmonton	7	Washington	2

Thursday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs and Irv Smith Jr. agreed Tuesday on a one-year deal, giving quarterback Patrick Mahomes a veteran tight end behind Travis Kelce, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract cannot be finalized until Wednesday, the start of the new league year.

Blake Bell and Jody Fortson, who have been backing up Kelce, are due to become free agents, so the Chiefs were in the market for someone to work with him in multiple tight end sets. The 25-year-old Smith also makes them younger at an important position in the Kansas City offense; Kelce will turn 35 next season while Bell turns 33 before Week 1.

The Chiefs also have tight end Noah Gray on the roster. He had 28 catches for 305 yards and two TDs last season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs and Irv Smith Jr. agreed Tuesday on a one-year deal, giving quarterback Patrick Mahomes a veteran tight end behind Travis Kelce, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract cannot be finalized until Wednesday, the start of the new league year.Blake Bell and Jody Fortson, who have been backing up Kelce, are due to become free agents, so the Chiefs were in the market for someone to work with him in multiple tight end sets. The 25-year-old Smith also makes them younger at an important position in the Kansas City offense; Kelce will turn 35 next season while Bell turns 33 before Week 1.The Chiefs also have tight end Noah Gray on the roster. He had 28 catches for 305 yards and two TDs last season.Smith has struggled with injuries throughout his four-year career in Minnesota and Cincinnati, ending the 2021 season on injured reserve with a torn meniscus in his knee and spending time on IR the following year with an ankle injury.He's been productive when he's been on the field, though. Smith has started 21 of 49 career games, including six of 12 last season for the Bengals, and he has 109 catches for 973 yards and 10 touchdowns. His best season came in 2020, when the former Alabama standout had 30 catches for 365 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games for the Vikings.The Chiefs are expected to bolster their offense in free agency after it slumped during their Super Bowl run, primarily due to a lack of production at wide receiver. But most of their work so far has been to keep together the league's No. 2 defense.Last week, the Chiefs brought back linebacker Drue Tranquill on a three-year, $19 million contract. On Monday, they completed a five-year, $158.75 million deal with Chris Jones that made the All-Pro tackle one of the NFL's highest-paid defensive players.“Winning another ring with the Chiefs organization, I think that was the most important goal,” said Jones, who already has three Super Bowl rings and will try to help Kansas City become the first team to win three consecutive Lombardi Trophies.“For me,” Jones said, “it was important to come back. I wanted to leave a legacy in Kansas City. That was the talk throughout the year, very silently, just understanding I wanted to be here with this organization. There was no other I wanted to play for.”Jones spoke with reporters in Kansas City on Tuesday for the first time since signing the contract.“Deep down, I never had any plans to leave,” said Jones, who nevertheless held out through Week 1 this past season, when the sides were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term deal heading into the final year of his previous contract.