- Barton Men's Basketball coach Jeremy Coombs will be studio to talk about Tuesday nights Region 6 quarterfinal matchup with Coffeyville and what's next for the No. 1 ranked team in the country.

- Barton Softball coach Carson DuBose is back on the show to recap Tuesday's home doubleheader with the Cowley Tigers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Wednesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark, and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark, and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/lmt0calj/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>- Barton Men's Basketball coach Jeremy Coombs will be studio to talk about Tuesday nights Region 6 quarterfinal matchup with Coffeyville and what's next for the No. 1 ranked team in the country.- Barton Softball coach Carson DuBose is back on the show to recap Tuesday's home doubleheader with the Cowley Tigers.- Tuesday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Wednesday on Sports Day (Listen)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints and former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay have agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $5 million, a personal familiar with the matter said Tuesday night.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement, first reported by NFL Network, had not been announced.

Gay has played four seasons in the NFL — all with Kansas City, which drafted him in the second round out of Mississippi State in 2020.

The two-time Super Bowl winner has played in 57 games with 47 starts and has 233 tackles and five sacks to go with four fumble recoveries, four interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Last season, Gay started 15 games and had 58 tackles, including one sack. He recovered three fumbles, forced a fumble and intercepted a pass.

In New Orleans, Gay will join a linebacker corps anchored by defensive captain Demario Davis, who on Monday agreed to a two-year contract through 2025.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints and former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay have agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $5 million, a personal familiar with the matter said Tuesday night.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement, first reported by NFL Network, had not been announced.Gay has played four seasons in the NFL — all with Kansas City, which drafted him in the second round out of Mississippi State in 2020.The two-time Super Bowl winner has played in 57 games with 47 starts and has 233 tackles and five sacks to go with four fumble recoveries, four interceptions and two forced fumbles.Last season, Gay started 15 games and had 58 tackles, including one sack. He recovered three fumbles, forced a fumble and intercepted a pass.In New Orleans, Gay will join a linebacker corps anchored by defensive captain Demario Davis, who on Monday agreed to a two-year contract through 2025.

Saints and ex-Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay agree on 1-year deal

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have restructured quarterback Patrick Mahomes' contract, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday, giving the Super Bowl champions some much-needed salary cap space.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the financial details were not public.

By restructuring the contract, which would have counted more than $58 million against the cap for the upcoming season, the Chiefs created more than $21 million to use elsewhere. That could include a much-publicized pursuit of help at wide receiver, their need for a new left tackle to protect Mahomes' blind side, or in re-signing their own free agents.

Mahomes also adjusted his 10-year, $450 million contract in 2021 to help the Chiefs with their financial situation.

The Chiefs already signed All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones to a five-year, $158.75 million contract, which included $95 million guaranteed over the first three years. But that deal was structured so that it only cost $7.35 million against the cap this year.

Backup linebacker Drue Tranquill also signed a three-year, $19 million deal to return before Wednesday's start to free agency.

The creation of some additional salary cap space also could mean that L'Jarius Sneed, who quietly emerged as one of the NFL's best cornerbacks last season, could remain in Kansas City. The Chiefs used the franchise tag on him, which would equate to a one-year, $19.8 million deal, but many expected them to ultimately trade Sneed for draft compensation and salary cap relief.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have restructured quarterback Patrick Mahomes' contract, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday, giving the Super Bowl champions some much-needed salary cap space.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the financial details were not public.By restructuring the contract, which would have counted more than $58 million against the cap for the upcoming season, the Chiefs created more than $21 million to use elsewhere. That could include a much-publicized pursuit of help at wide receiver, their need for a new left tackle to protect Mahomes' blind side, or in re-signing their own free agents.Mahomes also adjusted his 10-year, $450 million contract in 2021 to help the Chiefs with their financial situation.The Chiefs already signed All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones to a five-year, $158.75 million contract, which included $95 million guaranteed over the first three years. But that deal was structured so that it only cost $7.35 million against the cap this year.Backup linebacker Drue Tranquill also signed a three-year, $19 million deal to return before Wednesday's start to free agency.The creation of some additional salary cap space also could mean that L'Jarius Sneed, who quietly emerged as one of the NFL's best cornerbacks last season, could remain in Kansas City. The Chiefs used the franchise tag on him, which would equate to a one-year, $19.8 million deal, but many expected them to ultimately trade Sneed for draft compensation and salary cap relief.

The Chiefs restructure Patrick Mahomes' contract for salary cap relief

Barton Baseball&nbsp; Tuesday vs Kansas Weseylan Barton 13, Kansas Wesleyan JV 2

* Barton improves to 14-6 * Host Colby Thursday in doubleheader at 1pm

Barton Softball Tuesday vs Cowley Game 1 - Barton 6, Cowley 5 Game 2 - Cowley 9, Barton 7 8-innings

* Barton is now 10-10, Cowley 20-9 * Lady Cougars host NW Tech Tech in doubleheader at 1pm

Barton Baseball&nbsp; Tuesday vs Kansas Weseylan Barton 13, Kansas Wesleyan JV 2* Barton improves to 14-6 * Host Colby Thursday in doubleheader at 1pmBarton Softball Tuesday vs Cowley Game 1 - Barton 6, Cowley 5 Game 2 - Cowley 9, Barton 7 8-innings* Barton is now 10-10, Cowley 20-9 * Lady Cougars host NW Tech Tech in doubleheader at 1pm

Barton Baseball/Softball Scoreboard

Barton Men 83 Coffeyville 72; Barton Women 67 Coffeyville 43

1. Barton Community College basketball on 104 3 the Point sponsored by Nex-Tech Wireless, Damm Pipe Testing, Mpire Overhead Door, Best Western Angus Inn, Marmie Auto Group, Rosenberg Family Dentistry, The University of Kansas Health System, Venture Corporation, Nex-Tech, Cougar Booster Club, The 10th Street Eye Care Center, Freedom Claims Management and Kansas Fishing Tools

<div><a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/information/boosterclub/index"><img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635967480149.jpeg"></a>

</div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647912774016.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Barton Men 83 Coffeyville 72; Barton Women 67 Coffeyville 43<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/rsnxbfco/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>1. Barton Community College basketball on 104 3 the Point sponsored by Nex-Tech Wireless, Damm Pipe Testing, Mpire Overhead Door, Best Western Angus Inn, Marmie Auto Group, Rosenberg Family Dentistry, The University of Kansas Health System, Venture Corporation, Nex-Tech, Cougar Booster Club, The 10th Street Eye Care Center, Freedom Claims Management and Kansas Fishing Tools

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Simas Lukosius hit seven 3-pointers and scored 31 points,
Day Day Thomas also had seven 3s and 29 points, and No. 11 seed
Cincinnati rallied to beat No. 14 seed West Virginia 90-85 in the Big
12 Tournament on Tuesday. The Mountaineers committed three technical
fouls in the second half as the Bearcats dug out from a 16-point
hole. Jesse Edwards had 17 points, Quinn Slazinski scored 15 and
RaeQuan Battle had 14 for the Mountaineers, who finished 9-23 to set
a school record for losses and end up with its fewest wins since the
2001-02 team went 8-20 in Gale Catlett’s final season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Ibrahima Diallo had 17 points and 11 rebounds to help No. 12
seed UCF to a 77-62 victory over No. 13 Oklahoma State in the Big 12
Tournament opener Tuesday. The Knights used an 18-1 run to start the
second half and cruise into a second-round game Wednesday against No.
20 BYU, the No. 4 seed in the tourney. C.J. Walker added 12 points
and Darius Johnson 11 for the Knights, who joined the Big 12 from the
American Athletic Conference this season. Javon Small hit five 3s and
scored 21 points for the Cowboys, who finished the season on a
six-game losing streak.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Madison Booker scored 26 points, Aaliyah Moore added 14 and
No. 6 Texas beat Iowa State 70-53 on Tuesday night for its second Big
12 Tournament title in three years. The SEC-bound Longhorns avenged
their loss to the Cyclones in last year's finale and won for the 12th
time in 13 games, giving their hopes of landing a No. 1 seed in the
NCAA tourney a big boost. Second-seeded Texas led by 20 in the first
half before answering every Iowa State run in the second half. Audi
Crooks scored 25 points for No. 4 seed Iowa State, but she had very
little help. Emily Ryan had seven points and eight assists but also
nine turnovers, while second-leading scorer Addy Brown was held to
two points on 1-for-5 shooting.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will
remain at T-Mobile Center through 2031, commissioner Brett Yormark
said. He made the announcement shortly before Texas and Iowa State
played for the women’s championship there for the first time
Tuesday night. The women had long played down the street at smaller,
antiquated Municipal Auditorium. Yormark also said that the women's
Big 12 soccer championship would be played at CPKC Stadium. The home
of National Women's Soccer League club Kansas City Current is
scheduled to open Saturday with a game against Portland.

LAS VEGAS (AP) —
Aidan Mahaney scored 23 points, Mitchell Saxen had 19 points and 15
rebounds and No. 21 Saint Mary’s led nearly the entire way beat No.
17 Gonzaga 69-60 on Tuesday night and interrupt the Bulldogs’
stranglehold on the West Coast Conference Tournament title. Gonzaga
had won four WCC championships in a row and 10 of 11. Saint Mary’s
in 2019 was the one year the Bulldogs didn’t claim the trophy over
that span. Also for Saint Mary’s, WCC player of the year Augustas
Marciulionis scored 13 points. Anton Watson led the Zags with 18
points,

UNDATED (AP) —
Conference tournaments across men's college basketball begin in
earnest Tuesday and there are plenty of teams riding the NCAA tourney
bubble. That makes all those quarterfinal games between teams that
might not necessarily be ranked in the Top 25 must-see television as
the drama of March Madness begins to unfold. Teams such as Kansas
State in the Big 12, Syracuse in the ACC, St. John's in the Big East,
Iowa in the Big Ten, Utah in the Pac-12 and Texas A&amp;M in the SEC
could need a win or two this week to feel a whole lot better about
Selection Sunday.

WASHINGTON (AP) —
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz says there's a 50-50 chance of Congress passing
legislation regulating college athletics by the end of the year. Cruz
lowed his estimate of a bill getting through by the end of this
session and said he and his counterparts are running out of time. The
senator from Texas believes something will get done to standardize
name, image and likeness and other financial aspects of college
sports in the country. His comments came after Cruz oversaw a
roundtable discussion on the topic with former Alabama football coach
Nick Saban, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne, ACC commissioner
Jim Phillips and others.

UNDATED (AP) —
With most of the major conferences having their tournaments finished,
there are a few anxious teams waiting to see if their names will be
called for the NCAA Tournament on Sunday when the field is announced.
The selection committee has a tough job ahead of it in determining
those final few teams that have a slim margin separating them. Many
of the bubble teams will be paying close attention to a few of the
mid-major tournaments that could snatch bids away from them. The Ivy,
Horizon and MAAC could end up being bubble busters.

UNDATED (AP) — A
person with knowledge of the negotiations says the Cleveland Browns
have agreed to sign quarterback Jameis Winston as a backup for
Deshaun Watson. The person says Winston is getting a one-year deal
worth up to $8.7 million. The person spoke to The Associated Press on
condition of anonymity because the move can’t become official until
the new league year begins Wednesday. And Joe Flacco's agent, Joe
Linta, tells the AP that his client didn't receive an offer from the
Browns to stay in Cleveland. Flacco went 4-1 last season in place of
an injured Watson to help the Browns reach the playoffs.

UNDATED (AP) —
Derrick Henry is leaving the Tennessee Titans to team up with MVP
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens with a two-year deal worth up
to $20 million, a person with knowledge of the deal tells The
Associated Press. Henry's deal follows several others for running
backs during the NFL's two-day legal tampering period. The position
has been devalued in recent years, but this year's run shows teams
will go after running backs at the right price. At least a dozen
running backs are switching teams along with at least 10
quarterbacks, including Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH,
Fla. (AP) — PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan isn't offering any
details on negotiations with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf. But he
expresses confidence the tour can strike a deal with the Public
Investment Fund and that golf's fractured landscape can be repaired.
He also sounded a confident tone that he's the best person to lead
the way. Monahan held a news conference Tuesday for the first time in
nearly seven months. Since then, the tour got a minority investor
pumping up to $3 billion into golf. And LIV persuaded Masters
champion Jon Rahm to join. Monahan did not set a timetable for an
outcome.

Final	(21)Saint
Mary's (Cal.)	69	(17)Gonzaga	60

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707734642080.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Simas Lukosius hit seven 3-pointers and scored 31 points,
Day Day Thomas also had seven 3s and 29 points, and No. 11 seed
Cincinnati rallied to beat No. 14 seed West Virginia 90-85 in the Big
12 Tournament on Tuesday. The Mountaineers committed three technical
fouls in the second half as the Bearcats dug out from a 16-point
hole. Jesse Edwards had 17 points, Quinn Slazinski scored 15 and
RaeQuan Battle had 14 for the Mountaineers, who finished 9-23 to set
a school record for losses and end up with its fewest wins since the
2001-02 team went 8-20 in Gale Catlett’s final season.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Ibrahima Diallo had 17 points and 11 rebounds to help No. 12
seed UCF to a 77-62 victory over No. 13 Oklahoma State in the Big 12
Tournament opener Tuesday. The Knights used an 18-1 run to start the
second half and cruise into a second-round game Wednesday against No.
20 BYU, the No. 4 seed in the tourney. C.J. Walker added 12 points
and Darius Johnson 11 for the Knights, who joined the Big 12 from the
American Athletic Conference this season. Javon Small hit five 3s and
scored 21 points for the Cowboys, who finished the season on a
six-game losing streak.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Madison Booker scored 26 points, Aaliyah Moore added 14 and
No. 6 Texas beat Iowa State 70-53 on Tuesday night for its second Big
12 Tournament title in three years. The SEC-bound Longhorns avenged
their loss to the Cyclones in last year's finale and won for the 12th
time in 13 games, giving their hopes of landing a No. 1 seed in the
NCAA tourney a big boost. Second-seeded Texas led by 20 in the first
half before answering every Iowa State run in the second half. Audi
Crooks scored 25 points for No. 4 seed Iowa State, but she had very
little help. Emily Ryan had seven points and eight assists but also
nine turnovers, while second-leading scorer Addy Brown was held to
two points on 1-for-5 shooting.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will
remain at T-Mobile Center through 2031, commissioner Brett Yormark
said. He made the announcement shortly before Texas and Iowa State
played for the women’s championship there for the first time
Tuesday night. The women had long played down the street at smaller,
antiquated Municipal Auditorium. Yormark also said that the women's
Big 12 soccer championship would be played at CPKC Stadium. The home
of National Women's Soccer League club Kansas City Current is
scheduled to open Saturday with a game against Portland.LAS VEGAS (AP) —
Aidan Mahaney scored 23 points, Mitchell Saxen had 19 points and 15
rebounds and No. 21 Saint Mary’s led nearly the entire way beat No.
17 Gonzaga 69-60 on Tuesday night and interrupt the Bulldogs’
stranglehold on the West Coast Conference Tournament title. Gonzaga
had won four WCC championships in a row and 10 of 11. Saint Mary’s
in 2019 was the one year the Bulldogs didn’t claim the trophy over
that span. Also for Saint Mary’s, WCC player of the year Augustas
Marciulionis scored 13 points. Anton Watson led the Zags with 18
points,UNDATED (AP) —
Conference tournaments across men's college basketball begin in
earnest Tuesday and there are plenty of teams riding the NCAA tourney
bubble. That makes all those quarterfinal games between teams that
might not necessarily be ranked in the Top 25 must-see television as
the drama of March Madness begins to unfold. Teams such as Kansas
State in the Big 12, Syracuse in the ACC, St. John's in the Big East,
Iowa in the Big Ten, Utah in the Pac-12 and Texas A&amp;M in the SEC
could need a win or two this week to feel a whole lot better about
Selection Sunday.WASHINGTON (AP) —
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz says there's a 50-50 chance of Congress passing
legislation regulating college athletics by the end of the year. Cruz
lowed his estimate of a bill getting through by the end of this
session and said he and his counterparts are running out of time. The
senator from Texas believes something will get done to standardize
name, image and likeness and other financial aspects of college
sports in the country. His comments came after Cruz oversaw a
roundtable discussion on the topic with former Alabama football coach
Nick Saban, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne, ACC commissioner
Jim Phillips and others.UNDATED (AP) —
With most of the major conferences having their tournaments finished,
there are a few anxious teams waiting to see if their names will be
called for the NCAA Tournament on Sunday when the field is announced.
The selection committee has a tough job ahead of it in determining
those final few teams that have a slim margin separating them. Many
of the bubble teams will be paying close attention to a few of the
mid-major tournaments that could snatch bids away from them. The Ivy,
Horizon and MAAC could end up being bubble busters.UNDATED (AP) — A
person with knowledge of the negotiations says the Cleveland Browns
have agreed to sign quarterback Jameis Winston as a backup for
Deshaun Watson. The person says Winston is getting a one-year deal
worth up to $8.7 million. The person spoke to The Associated Press on
condition of anonymity because the move can’t become official until
the new league year begins Wednesday. And Joe Flacco's agent, Joe
Linta, tells the AP that his client didn't receive an offer from the
Browns to stay in Cleveland. Flacco went 4-1 last season in place of
an injured Watson to help the Browns reach the playoffs.UNDATED (AP) —
Derrick Henry is leaving the Tennessee Titans to team up with MVP
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens with a two-year deal worth up
to $20 million, a person with knowledge of the deal tells The
Associated Press. Henry's deal follows several others for running
backs during the NFL's two-day legal tampering period. The position
has been devalued in recent years, but this year's run shows teams
will go after running backs at the right price. At least a dozen
running backs are switching teams along with at least 10
quarterbacks, including Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson.PONTE VEDRA BEACH,
Fla. (AP) — PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan isn't offering any
details on negotiations with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf. But he
expresses confidence the tour can strike a deal with the Public
Investment Fund and that golf's fractured landscape can be repaired.
He also sounded a confident tone that he's the best person to lead
the way. Monahan held a news conference Tuesday for the first time in
nearly seven months. Since then, the tour got a minority investor
pumping up to $3 billion into golf. And LIV persuaded Masters
champion Jon Rahm to join. Monahan did not set a timetable for an
outcome.TUESDAY SCORESTOP-25 COLLEGE
BASKETBALLFinal	(21)Saint
Mary's (Cal.)	69	(17)Gonzaga	60INTERLEAGUEFinal	St.
Louis	8	Boston	6	Final	Houston	9	Miami	1	Final	Colorado	4	Kansas
City	2	Final	Chicago White
Sox	14	Cincinnati	1	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Detroit	1	Minnesota	0	Final	Baltimore	12	Tampa
Bay	8	Final	Toronto	8	N.Y.
Yankees	1	Final	Cleveland	3	Texas	0	Final	Oakland	4	Seattle	2	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Pittsburgh	5	Atlanta	1	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	6	San Francisco	4	Final	Washington	4	N.Y.
Mets	1	Final	Chicago
Cubs	6	Milwaukee	5	Final	Arizona	2	San
Diego	2	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	New
York	106	Philadelphia	79	Final	Indiana	121	Oklahoma
City	111	Final	Memphis	109	Washington	97	Final	Houston	103	San
Antonio	101	Final	Boston	123	Utah	107	Final	Minnesota	118	L.A.
Clippers	100	Final	Sacramento	129	Milwaukee	94	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUEFinal	N-Y
Rangers	1	Carolina	0	Final	Montreal	3	Columbus	0	Final	Buffalo	7	Detroit	3	Final
OT	Ottawa	2	Pittsburgh	1	Final	Philadelphia	3	San
Jose	2	Final	Minnesota	4	Arizona	1	Final	Florida	4	Dallas	3	Final	Chicago	7	Anaheim	2	Final	Colorado	6	Calgary	2

Wednesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Jody Mikhail was a sophomore at Pennsylvania's Cumberland Valley High School when a poster for a new girls’ wrestling club caught her eye. So Mikhail, a senior now, tried the sport.

“I fell in love with it the first time,” she said.

Unlike previous generations, she's hardly alone.

Girls’ wrestling has become the fastest-growing high school sport in the country, sanctioned by a surging number of states and bolstered by a movement of medal-winning female wrestlers, parents and the male-dominated ranks of coaches and administrators who saw it as a necessity and a matter of equality.

Where once girls wrestled on boys teams and against boys, increasingly they are wrestling on girls teams and against girls. And now that they are wrestling in sanctioned and official tournaments against girls, their names are going onto plaques on their high schools’ walls and into state record books.

This year, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania held their first state-sanctioned girls' wrestling championships, while Louisiana became the 45th state to sanction the sport. At the collegiate level, women’s wrestling is designated as an “emerging” sport and is on track to become a championship-level sport in 2026,&nbsp;the NCAA said.

In Pennsylvania — where the Penn State men are ranked No. 1 and the state’s male and female wrestlers dominated last year’s 16-and-under national team championships — the number of girl wrestlers in high schools nearly doubled this year as the state rocketed to more than 180 high school teams from none in 2020.

Hundreds of girls competed in Pennsylvania’s first sanctioned state tournament, including Mikhail, after years of girls having no choice but to wrestle boys or, if they did wrestle girls, seeing the same handful of faces, year after year, in tournaments organized by local wrestling organizations.

Even for girls who compete nationally or hope to wrestle in college, wrestling in state-sanctioned tournaments brings status.

“It really does bring this level of, I think, having these girls feel seen,” said Brooke Zumas, a former wrestling coach who was active in the movement to get the sport sanctioned in Pennsylvania.

Girls who have competed for years are seeing new faces and big crowds in this year’s state-sanctioned championship tournaments.

“There were never tournaments like this,” said Savannah Witt, a state champion wrestler from Pennsylvania’s Palisades High School who has wrestled for 10 years. “It’s awesome to see. I’ve been used to running into the same, like, three faces at tournaments. Now you come here, I’m like, ‘I don’t know half these girls.’”

Over the past decade, the number of high school girls’ teams quadrupled nationally and the number of girls wrestling in high school quintupled to over 50,000 through last year, according to figures from the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Last year alone, it shot up nearly 60%, the biggest increase for the sport in decades.

Still, the number of girls wrestling in high school was one-fifth of the number of boys last year and the 14th biggest by participation, trailing the stalwarts of American girls' athletics — track and field, volleyball, soccer, basketball and softball — but also tennis, swimming, golf, lacrosse, cross country and cheerleading.

Another leap will likely vault girls’ wrestling past field hockey.

Wrestling is something of a niche sport: it has arcane rules and lacks a mass media presence that helps stoke interest. For many, it takes a family tradition, a brother or a proselytizing coach. And wrestlers and coaches describe it as a sport daunting for its extreme physicality — but a sport that is unmatched in teaching inner strength and discipline.

Some see the rise of girls’ wrestling as part of a larger arc in women’s sports: the U.S. women’s national soccer team has captured the nation’s attention and the Big Ten’s women’s basketball tournament sold out after&nbsp;Caitlin Clark&nbsp;smashed the women’s NCAA scoring record.

“When women first had a chance to participate in sports in an organized fashion, it was in sports that were considered feminine,” said Jackie Paquette, who two years ago became the first female executive at the National Wrestling Coaches Association. “It was tennis, it was golf, it was swimming. It was considered graceful. Wrestling is the opposite of that in a sense, so it has been hard for some to accept women in that form. But we are finding out now that the world is changing.”

Still, boosters say wrestling is accessible: there’s a weight class for every body type, there are fewer competing winter sports and all a wrestler needs is a pair of wrestling shoes.

In 1990, barely over 100 girls were on high school rosters in the entire country, and before 2018 just six states had sanctioned it.

In 2016, national champion wrestler Sally Roberts founded the advocacy organization Wrestle Like a Girl and began talking to USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame — male-dominated organizations that nevertheless got on board for girls’ wrestling.

Something else happened that year: American wrestler Helen Maroulis scored a&nbsp;shocking victory&nbsp;at the Rio De Janeiro Olympics to win a gold medal — the first ever for an American in women’s wrestling.

“Other girls said, ‘I want to be her,’” Roberts said.

Parents and coaches lobbied school boards and athletic directors and recruited girls in their schools. James Stettler, a teacher and a wrestling coach in Pennsylvania’s Central Dauphin district, recalled going to back-to-school nights to hand out fliers to parents.

“Whenever I try to sell them I’m like, ‘Oh, you look like a family that has a future wrestler in your family.’ And they’ll go, ’Oh, no, I have a daughter.′ And I go, ‘Well, that’s great, we have a girls program,’” said Stettler, a former high school wrestler whose 13-year-old daughter, Abby, and two sons wrestle.

The minds of some parents took changing. Some parents didn’t want their daughters wrestling boys. Some didn't want their girls wrestling, period.

Leah Wright, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, recalled how her daughter asked to start wrestling after seeing her older brother wrestle. Wright’s husband, who wrestled growing up, said no — but it began a conversation in the household that changed his mind.

“That has definitely shifted, where fathers who wrestled are introducing their daughters to this sport and having this connection through the sport,” Wright said.

Some who watched Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts saw Sara McMann and Tatiana Suarez — collegiate wrestlers who won medals in international competition, including McMann’s silver medal at the 2004 Olympics.

“And they’d look at their daughters and say, ‘Oh, do you want to wrestle?’” Roberts said.

Some never thought it would be sanctioned.

That includes Serge Bouyssou, who recalled the vile things that coaches and parents said to his daughter when she wrestled in high school before graduating more than a decade ago.

“You thought people are never going to give in to the fact that girls are more than capable of participating in this sport,” said Bouyssou, who last month coached girl wrestlers from Scituate High School in Rhode Island’s first sanctioned state tournament.

Gary Abbott, of USA Wrestling, said wrestling is growing quickly at the youth level, too, and the organization is encouraged by its highest Olympic medal count ever for women — four — in 2021. USA Wrestling hopes to see a day when as many girls are wrestling as there are boys, Abbott said.

In perhaps a decade or two, a new generation of mothers who wrestled on girls teams in sanctioned tournaments may teach their daughters to wrestle.

“It’s really good for girls, especially that are new to the sport, to see like that’s how it should be,” said Aubre Krazer, a state champion and senior at Pennsylvania’s Easton Area High School. “It’s very organized. ... It’s nice to see that, especially for the upcoming generations, it’s going to be better for them than it was for us. And that’s what I would want for them.”

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Jody Mikhail was a sophomore at Pennsylvania's Cumberland Valley High School when a poster for a new girls’ wrestling club caught her eye. So Mikhail, a senior now, tried the sport.“I fell in love with it the first time,” she said.Unlike previous generations, she's hardly alone.Girls’ wrestling has become the fastest-growing high school sport in the country, sanctioned by a surging number of states and bolstered by a movement of medal-winning female wrestlers, parents and the male-dominated ranks of coaches and administrators who saw it as a necessity and a matter of equality.Where once girls wrestled on boys teams and against boys, increasingly they are wrestling on girls teams and against girls. And now that they are wrestling in sanctioned and official tournaments against girls, their names are going onto plaques on their high schools’ walls and into state record books.This year, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania held their first state-sanctioned girls' wrestling championships, while Louisiana became the 45th state to sanction the sport. At the collegiate level, women’s wrestling is designated as an “emerging” sport and is on track to become a championship-level sport in 2026,&nbsp;the NCAA said.A rapidly growing sportIn Pennsylvania — where the Penn State men are ranked No. 1 and the state’s male and female wrestlers dominated last year’s 16-and-under national team championships — the number of girl wrestlers in high schools nearly doubled this year as the state rocketed to more than 180 high school teams from none in 2020.Hundreds of girls competed in Pennsylvania’s first sanctioned state tournament, including Mikhail, after years of girls having no choice but to wrestle boys or, if they did wrestle girls, seeing the same handful of faces, year after year, in tournaments organized by local wrestling organizations.Even for girls who compete nationally or hope to wrestle in college, wrestling in state-sanctioned tournaments brings status.“It really does bring this level of, I think, having these girls feel seen,” said Brooke Zumas, a former wrestling coach who was active in the movement to get the sport sanctioned in Pennsylvania.Girls who have competed for years are seeing new faces and big crowds in this year’s state-sanctioned championship tournaments.“There were never tournaments like this,” said Savannah Witt, a state champion wrestler from Pennsylvania’s Palisades High School who has wrestled for 10 years. “It’s awesome to see. I’ve been used to running into the same, like, three faces at tournaments. Now you come here, I’m like, ‘I don’t know half these girls.’”Over the past decade, the number of high school girls’ teams quadrupled nationally and the number of girls wrestling in high school quintupled to over 50,000 through last year, according to figures from the National Federation of State High School Associations.Last year alone, it shot up nearly 60%, the biggest increase for the sport in decades.Still, the number of girls wrestling in high school was one-fifth of the number of boys last year and the 14th biggest by participation, trailing the stalwarts of American girls' athletics — track and field, volleyball, soccer, basketball and softball — but also tennis, swimming, golf, lacrosse, cross country and cheerleading.Another leap will likely vault girls’ wrestling past field hockey.‘The world is changing’Wrestling is something of a niche sport: it has arcane rules and lacks a mass media presence that helps stoke interest. For many, it takes a family tradition, a brother or a proselytizing coach. And wrestlers and coaches describe it as a sport daunting for its extreme physicality — but a sport that is unmatched in teaching inner strength and discipline.Some see the rise of girls’ wrestling as part of a larger arc in women’s sports: the U.S. women’s national soccer team has captured the nation’s attention and the Big Ten’s women’s basketball tournament sold out after&nbsp;Caitlin Clark&nbsp;smashed the women’s NCAA scoring record.“When women first had a chance to participate in sports in an organized fashion, it was in sports that were considered feminine,” said Jackie Paquette, who two years ago became the first female executive at the National Wrestling Coaches Association. “It was tennis, it was golf, it was swimming. It was considered graceful. Wrestling is the opposite of that in a sense, so it has been hard for some to accept women in that form. But we are finding out now that the world is changing.”Still, boosters say wrestling is accessible: there’s a weight class for every body type, there are fewer competing winter sports and all a wrestler needs is a pair of wrestling shoes.In 1990, barely over 100 girls were on high school rosters in the entire country, and before 2018 just six states had sanctioned it.In 2016, national champion wrestler Sally Roberts founded the advocacy organization Wrestle Like a Girl and began talking to USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame — male-dominated organizations that nevertheless got on board for girls’ wrestling.Something else happened that year: American wrestler Helen Maroulis scored a&nbsp;shocking victory&nbsp;at the Rio De Janeiro Olympics to win a gold medal — the first ever for an American in women’s wrestling.“Other girls said, ‘I want to be her,’” Roberts said.Changing minds and stereotypesParents and coaches lobbied school boards and athletic directors and recruited girls in their schools. James Stettler, a teacher and a wrestling coach in Pennsylvania’s Central Dauphin district, recalled going to back-to-school nights to hand out fliers to parents.“Whenever I try to sell them I’m like, ‘Oh, you look like a family that has a future wrestler in your family.’ And they’ll go, ’Oh, no, I have a daughter.′ And I go, ‘Well, that’s great, we have a girls program,’” said Stettler, a former high school wrestler whose 13-year-old daughter, Abby, and two sons wrestle.The minds of some parents took changing. Some parents didn’t want their daughters wrestling boys. Some didn't want their girls wrestling, period.Leah Wright, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, recalled how her daughter asked to start wrestling after seeing her older brother wrestle. Wright’s husband, who wrestled growing up, said no — but it began a conversation in the household that changed his mind.“That has definitely shifted, where fathers who wrestled are introducing their daughters to this sport and having this connection through the sport,” Wright said.Some who watched Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts saw Sara McMann and Tatiana Suarez — collegiate wrestlers who won medals in international competition, including McMann’s silver medal at the 2004 Olympics.“And they’d look at their daughters and say, ‘Oh, do you want to wrestle?’” Roberts said.Some never thought it would be sanctioned.That includes Serge Bouyssou, who recalled the vile things that coaches and parents said to his daughter when she wrestled in high school before graduating more than a decade ago.“You thought people are never going to give in to the fact that girls are more than capable of participating in this sport,” said Bouyssou, who last month coached girl wrestlers from Scituate High School in Rhode Island’s first sanctioned state tournament.Gary Abbott, of USA Wrestling, said wrestling is growing quickly at the youth level, too, and the organization is encouraged by its highest Olympic medal count ever for women — four — in 2021. USA Wrestling hopes to see a day when as many girls are wrestling as there are boys, Abbott said.In perhaps a decade or two, a new generation of mothers who wrestled on girls teams in sanctioned tournaments may teach their daughters to wrestle.“It’s really good for girls, especially that are new to the sport, to see like that’s how it should be,” said Aubre Krazer, a state champion and senior at Pennsylvania’s Easton Area High School. “It’s very organized. ... It’s nice to see that, especially for the upcoming generations, it’s going to be better for them than it was for us. And that’s what I would want for them.”

Girls are falling in love with wrestling, the nation's fastest-growing high school sport

- The "Voice of the Cougars" Cole Reif previews Tuesday's night's Region 6 quarterfinal games at the Kirkman Center with the Barton Men and Women both hosting Coffeyville.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Tuesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Tuesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/gysrd2qj/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>- The "Voice of the Cougars" Cole Reif previews Tuesday's night's Region 6 quarterfinal games at the Kirkman Center with the Barton Men and Women both hosting Coffeyville.- Barton Bowling coach Mike Perry- Tuesday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Tuesday on Sports Day (Listen)

Jeff Borzello ESPN Staff Writer

Kansas stars Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr. won't play in the Big 12 tournament this week due to injuries, coach Bill Self said Monday.

Dickinson left Saturday's loss to Houston with what Self later said was a dislocated shoulder, while McCullar didn't play in the second half as he continues to deal with a bone bruise on his knee.

Self said Monday on his weekly Hawk Talk radio show that Dickinson's shoulder injury won't require surgery and that he has already started rehab.

While he won't play this week, Self said Dickinson "should be practicing full speed by the start of next week so he'll be available to us with the NCAA tournament. And not only available but he should be fine."

Dickinson has been one of the most productive players in the country this season, averaging 18.0 points and 10.8 rebounds in his first season after transferring from Michigan last spring.

McCullar, meanwhile, has missed five games over the past six weeks managing a bone bruise on his knee. He missed four of five games to end the month of February, returned for games against Baylor and Kansas State, but then managed to play only 15 first-half minutes in the loss to Houston.

Self said McCullar's time off should help him and he should be able to practice next week in preparation for the NCAA tournament.

A 6-foot-7 senior who played the first three seasons of his career at Texas Tech before spending his last two seasons at Kansas, McCullar is one of the biggest breakout stars in the country. He's averaging 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

Both Dickinson and McCullar earned first-team All-Big 12 honors.

Jeff Borzello ESPN Staff WriterKansas stars Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr. won't play in the Big 12 tournament this week due to injuries, coach Bill Self said Monday.Dickinson left Saturday's loss to Houston with what Self later said was a dislocated shoulder, while McCullar didn't play in the second half as he continues to deal with a bone bruise on his knee.Self said Monday on his weekly Hawk Talk radio show that Dickinson's shoulder injury won't require surgery and that he has already started rehab.While he won't play this week, Self said Dickinson "should be practicing full speed by the start of next week so he'll be available to us with the NCAA tournament. And not only available but he should be fine."Dickinson has been one of the most productive players in the country this season, averaging 18.0 points and 10.8 rebounds in his first season after transferring from Michigan last spring.McCullar, meanwhile, has missed five games over the past six weeks managing a bone bruise on his knee. He missed four of five games to end the month of February, returned for games against Baylor and Kansas State, but then managed to play only 15 first-half minutes in the loss to Houston.Self said McCullar's time off should help him and he should be able to practice next week in preparation for the NCAA tournament.A 6-foot-7 senior who played the first three seasons of his career at Texas Tech before spending his last two seasons at Kansas, McCullar is one of the biggest breakout stars in the country. He's averaging 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists.Both Dickinson and McCullar earned first-team All-Big 12 honors.

KU's Hunter Dickinson, Kevin McCullar Jr. out for Big 12 tourney

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer

The Houston Texans and punter Tommy Townsend have agreed on a two-year, $6 million deal, a person familiar with the contract told The Associated Press on Monday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal isn’t finalized. Townsend, a 2022 All-Pro, is leaving the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs after four seasons.

His departure leaves Matt Araiza as the lone punter on Kansas City’s roster. Araiza signed with the Chiefs last month. He was dropped from a lawsuit in December that had been filed by a woman who alleged she was raped by San Diego State football players in 2021.

The accusation against Araiza led the Buffalo Bills to release him shortly after selecting him in the NFL draft. Prosecutors later declined to file criminal charges against him after concluding that he wasn't present at the party when the alleged rape could have occurred.

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football WriterThe Houston Texans and punter Tommy Townsend have agreed on a two-year, $6 million deal, a person familiar with the contract told The Associated Press on Monday.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal isn’t finalized. Townsend, a 2022 All-Pro, is leaving the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs after four seasons.His departure leaves Matt Araiza as the lone punter on Kansas City’s roster. Araiza signed with the Chiefs last month. He was dropped from a lawsuit in December that had been filed by a woman who alleged she was raped by San Diego State football players in 2021.The accusation against Araiza led the Buffalo Bills to release him shortly after selecting him in the NFL draft. Prosecutors later declined to file criminal charges against him after concluding that he wasn't present at the party when the alleged rape could have occurred.

Houston Texans and punter Tommy Townsend have agreed on a two-year, $6 million deal

By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports Info

The Barton Community College women's bowling team wrapped up the 2023-24 season this past weekend with a 16th place finish at the Intercollegiate Team Championship Sectional Qualifier held at Cityview Lanes in Fort Worth, TX.

Making the program's first ever appearance, the Cougars were the lone NJCAA program competing in the 16-team field which featured top NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NAIA programs.

Staying consistent over the weekend, Barton fabricated the 16th most 5,422 pins over Saturday's opening 32-baker blocks while remaining in 16th over Sunday's final 32-baker games tallying a second day 5,271 and 64-game final mark of 10,693.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710240908449.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports InfoThe Barton Community College women's bowling team wrapped up the 2023-24 season this past weekend with a 16th place finish at the Intercollegiate Team Championship Sectional Qualifier held at Cityview Lanes in Fort Worth, TX.Making the program's first ever appearance, the Cougars were the lone NJCAA program competing in the 16-team field which featured top NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NAIA programs.Staying consistent over the weekend, Barton fabricated the 16th most 5,422 pins over Saturday's opening 32-baker blocks while remaining in 16th over Sunday's final 32-baker games tallying a second day 5,271 and 64-game final mark of 10,693.

Barton women's bowling finishes 16th at ITC Sectional Qualifier

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — This year's Big 12 Tournament could be a sign of changing times or a mere blip from the way things usually have been.

In its first season in the new-look league, top-ranked Houston romped to a regular-season title and the No. 1 seed, giving the Cougars a double bye into the quarterfinals. They capped their urn with a 30-point win over ailing Kansas, the erstwhile Big 12 power, which fell to the No. 6 seed and will be forced to play a second-round game Wednesday night.

“These conferences, now that we are where we are, would it be better if we didn't play this tournament? Sure. Give us a rest. You risk an injury,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said Monday. “But you know what? A conference tournament is important for everybody. It is important for the fans. It's important for the university. And it's important for the conference.”

It's not as if a title will do the Cougars much good. They are almost a lock for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

“Our next game — we've kind of been a next-game team all year long,” said Sampson, who has experience in the Big 12 tourney from his days leading Oklahoma, and whose team could play the Sooners or TCU in the quarterfinal round.

“The only difference now,” he added, “is if you lose, you have to go home.”

Meanwhile, the No. 16 Jayhawks are limping into the tournament without two of their biggest stars. In their 30-point loss to the Cougars on Saturday, big man Hunter Dickinson dislocated his shoulder — an MRI exam showed surgery won't be needed — while fellow All-America candidate Kevin McCullar Jr. continued to have knee pain.

Jayhawks coach Bill Self said late Monday that Dickinson and McCullar would be OK for the NCAA Tournament, but neither will play this week in Kansas City. That leaves the Jayhawks, who already were short on depth, without two of their veteran leaders and most reliable scorers when they step on the floor at T-Mobile Center.

“I don’t feel great about about the big picture only because I don’t know what our health situation is,” Self said. "If we had our five guys and they’re all lined up and they’re healthy we can play with anybody, but we’re not right now.”

Kansas will at least have its coach on the sideline after Self was forced to miss last year's Big 12 tourney when he experienced heart trouble on the eve of the Jayhawks' quarterfinal game. He wound up hospitalized and missed the tournament — Kansas lost to Texas in the finals — and the NCAA Tournament, where the Jayhawks were bounced by Arkansas on the opening weekend.

The Big 12 Tournament begins Tuesday, when newcomer UCF plays Oklahoma State and Cincinnati plays West Virginia. The winner of the opening game plays BYU on Wednesday while the second winner plays the Jayhawks.

The two opening-round games will be played before the Big 12 decides its women's tournament champion Tuesday night.

Now with 14 teams in the league, four earned byes into the quarterfinals on Thursday. The Cougars topped the list and got the preferred early-afternoon tip-off as the No. 1 seed, while Iowa State earned the No. 2 seed despite losing to Kansas State on Saturday. Baylor received the No. 3 seed and Texas Tech slipped into the quarterfinals as the No. 4 seed.

Things will change again next year when Oklahoma and Texas leave for the Southeastern Conference and Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah join the Big 12, making it a 16-team bracket. That will mean four opening-round games rather than two.

Texas won its second Big 12 tourney title in three years last season, and that went a long way toward interim coach Rodney Terry getting the full-time job. The Longhorns would like nothing better than head to the SEC with another trophy.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton is on the hot seat heading into the Big 12 Tournament; the Cowboys were just 12-19 in the regular season and have made the NCAA Tournament only once in his seven seasons. Meanwhile, West Virginia could be playing for the last time under interim coach Josh Eilert, who took over when Bob Huggins resigned before the season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — This year's Big 12 Tournament could be a sign of changing times or a mere blip from the way things usually have been.In its first season in the new-look league, top-ranked Houston romped to a regular-season title and the No. 1 seed, giving the Cougars a double bye into the quarterfinals. They capped their urn with a 30-point win over ailing Kansas, the erstwhile Big 12 power, which fell to the No. 6 seed and will be forced to play a second-round game Wednesday night.“These conferences, now that we are where we are, would it be better if we didn't play this tournament? Sure. Give us a rest. You risk an injury,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said Monday. “But you know what? A conference tournament is important for everybody. It is important for the fans. It's important for the university. And it's important for the conference.”It's not as if a title will do the Cougars much good. They are almost a lock for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.“Our next game — we've kind of been a next-game team all year long,” said Sampson, who has experience in the Big 12 tourney from his days leading Oklahoma, and whose team could play the Sooners or TCU in the quarterfinal round.“The only difference now,” he added, “is if you lose, you have to go home.”Meanwhile, the No. 16 Jayhawks are limping into the tournament without two of their biggest stars. In their 30-point loss to the Cougars on Saturday, big man Hunter Dickinson dislocated his shoulder — an MRI exam showed surgery won't be needed — while fellow All-America candidate Kevin McCullar Jr. continued to have knee pain.Jayhawks coach Bill Self said late Monday that Dickinson and McCullar would be OK for the NCAA Tournament, but neither will play this week in Kansas City. That leaves the Jayhawks, who already were short on depth, without two of their veteran leaders and most reliable scorers when they step on the floor at T-Mobile Center.“I don’t feel great about about the big picture only because I don’t know what our health situation is,” Self said. "If we had our five guys and they’re all lined up and they’re healthy we can play with anybody, but we’re not right now.”SELF IS BACKKansas will at least have its coach on the sideline after Self was forced to miss last year's Big 12 tourney when he experienced heart trouble on the eve of the Jayhawks' quarterfinal game. He wound up hospitalized and missed the tournament — Kansas lost to Texas in the finals — and the NCAA Tournament, where the Jayhawks were bounced by Arkansas on the opening weekend.STARTING THINGS OFFThe Big 12 Tournament begins Tuesday, when newcomer UCF plays Oklahoma State and Cincinnati plays West Virginia. The winner of the opening game plays BYU on Wednesday while the second winner plays the Jayhawks.The two opening-round games will be played before the Big 12 decides its women's tournament champion Tuesday night.BYE, BYE, BYENow with 14 teams in the league, four earned byes into the quarterfinals on Thursday. The Cougars topped the list and got the preferred early-afternoon tip-off as the No. 1 seed, while Iowa State earned the No. 2 seed despite losing to Kansas State on Saturday. Baylor received the No. 3 seed and Texas Tech slipped into the quarterfinals as the No. 4 seed.Things will change again next year when Oklahoma and Texas leave for the Southeastern Conference and Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah join the Big 12, making it a 16-team bracket. That will mean four opening-round games rather than two.SPEAKING OF THE LONGHORNSTexas won its second Big 12 tourney title in three years last season, and that went a long way toward interim coach Rodney Terry getting the full-time job. The Longhorns would like nothing better than head to the SEC with another trophy.COACHING SITUATIONSOklahoma State coach Mike Boynton is on the hot seat heading into the Big 12 Tournament; the Cowboys were just 12-19 in the regular season and have made the NCAA Tournament only once in his seven seasons. Meanwhile, West Virginia could be playing for the last time under interim coach Josh Eilert, who took over when Bob Huggins resigned before the season.

Houston takes No. 1 seed into Big 12 Tournament in first season in the league

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Texas coach Vic Schaefer had watched Kansas State wipe away a 14-point lead, pulling ahead in the fourth quarter of their Big 12 Tournament semifinal, and he knew the outcome would be decided by who made the biggest plays down the stretch.

Madison Booker made some of them. Shay Holle made the biggest.

The senior guard from Austin, Texas, drained a go-ahead 3-pointer from the wing with just over a minute to go Monday, and the sixth-ranked Longhorns held on from there for a 71-64 victory that sent them into a title game rematch with Iowa State.

“I've played them every year I've been here. We'll be excited to be in that game,” said Schaefer, whose team lost to the Cyclones in the finale a year ago. “These kids deserve it. They've had their fair share of trials and challenges throughout the season, and to be where they are today is just remarkable, and I couldn't be more proud of them.”

Booker finished with 17 points, Aaliyah Moore added 14 and Holle scored 11 for the No. 2 seed Longhorns (29-4), who led most of the way before finding themselves behind 57-55 with four minutes to go — and a partisan crowd rooting against them.

Booker answered with a bucket to tie the game, and it was still knotted 61-all when Holle hit her 3 from the wing. She added another basket off a nifty inbound play moments later, giving Texas a five-point lead it would never relinquish.

“We've been together so long. We've been through this before,” said the Longhorns' DeYona Gaston. “We try, in the heat of the moment, to calm each other down. We don't hang our heads low.”

Ayoka Lee had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the third-seeded Wildcats (25-7), who have not played for the Big 12 tourney title since 2005. Serena Sundell added 12 points but also had six of their 17 turnovers.

“We played well enough to win. We just came up on the short end,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said. “I thought it was an outstanding, physical, competitive game. We fought back and played hard and did a lot of really good things.”

Texas and Kansas State split the regular-season series with each winning at home, and despite a big contingent of Wildcat fans at the T-Mobile Center, the Longhorns played the first half as if they were the ones with the home-court advantage.

They played most of the way without Booker, too, after she picked up two fouls just seven minutes into the game.

Shaylee Gonzales helped by drilling a pair of 3-pointers, and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda had a couple of big baskets off the bench, as the Longhorns built a 24-14 lead by the end of the first quarter. Then, Moore started heating up in the second, helping the regular-season Big 12 runner-ups take a 38-30 lead into the locker room.

It could have been more if not for Lee, who had 18 of the Wildcats' first-half points.

Kansas State slowly ate away at its deficit in the third quarter, even as Booker scored on three straight possessions, and finally wiped out what had been an early 14-point advantage on Brylee Glenn's 3-pointer with four minutes to go.

But the Longhorns showed their mettle in the closing minutes, and Holle and Co. made the plays that mattered the most.

“I thought our kids were who they are, which is, they're just tough, y'all," Schaefer said. "This group is unlike any team I can remember in a long time. They're just gritty and tough and they can make plays.”

Texas meets Iowa State for the title. The Longhorns beat Baylor for the championship in 2022 and also won the title in '03.

Kansas State waits to see whether its NCAA Tournament seeding is good enough to host any games.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Texas coach Vic Schaefer had watched Kansas State wipe away a 14-point lead, pulling ahead in the fourth quarter of their Big 12 Tournament semifinal, and he knew the outcome would be decided by who made the biggest plays down the stretch.Madison Booker made some of them. Shay Holle made the biggest.The senior guard from Austin, Texas, drained a go-ahead 3-pointer from the wing with just over a minute to go Monday, and the sixth-ranked Longhorns held on from there for a 71-64 victory that sent them into a title game rematch with Iowa State.“I've played them every year I've been here. We'll be excited to be in that game,” said Schaefer, whose team lost to the Cyclones in the finale a year ago. “These kids deserve it. They've had their fair share of trials and challenges throughout the season, and to be where they are today is just remarkable, and I couldn't be more proud of them.”Booker finished with 17 points, Aaliyah Moore added 14 and Holle scored 11 for the No. 2 seed Longhorns (29-4), who led most of the way before finding themselves behind 57-55 with four minutes to go — and a partisan crowd rooting against them.Booker answered with a bucket to tie the game, and it was still knotted 61-all when Holle hit her 3 from the wing. She added another basket off a nifty inbound play moments later, giving Texas a five-point lead it would never relinquish.“We've been together so long. We've been through this before,” said the Longhorns' DeYona Gaston. “We try, in the heat of the moment, to calm each other down. We don't hang our heads low.”Ayoka Lee had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the third-seeded Wildcats (25-7), who have not played for the Big 12 tourney title since 2005. Serena Sundell added 12 points but also had six of their 17 turnovers.“We played well enough to win. We just came up on the short end,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said. “I thought it was an outstanding, physical, competitive game. We fought back and played hard and did a lot of really good things.”Texas and Kansas State split the regular-season series with each winning at home, and despite a big contingent of Wildcat fans at the T-Mobile Center, the Longhorns played the first half as if they were the ones with the home-court advantage.They played most of the way without Booker, too, after she picked up two fouls just seven minutes into the game.Shaylee Gonzales helped by drilling a pair of 3-pointers, and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda had a couple of big baskets off the bench, as the Longhorns built a 24-14 lead by the end of the first quarter. Then, Moore started heating up in the second, helping the regular-season Big 12 runner-ups take a 38-30 lead into the locker room.It could have been more if not for Lee, who had 18 of the Wildcats' first-half points.Kansas State slowly ate away at its deficit in the third quarter, even as Booker scored on three straight possessions, and finally wiped out what had been an early 14-point advantage on Brylee Glenn's 3-pointer with four minutes to go.But the Longhorns showed their mettle in the closing minutes, and Holle and Co. made the plays that mattered the most.“I thought our kids were who they are, which is, they're just tough, y'all," Schaefer said. "This group is unlike any team I can remember in a long time. They're just gritty and tough and they can make plays.”UP NEXTTexas meets Iowa State for the title. The Longhorns beat Baylor for the championship in 2022 and also won the title in '03.Kansas State waits to see whether its NCAA Tournament seeding is good enough to host any games.

No. 6 Texas beats No. 16 K-State 71-64 in Big 12 semifinals

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Houston is the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament after
winning the regular-season title in its first year in the league. The
top-ranked Cougars earned one of four double byes into the
quarterfinals on Thursday. Meanwhile, No. 16 Kansas dropped all the
way to the No. 6 seed and will play a second-round game on Wednesday.
The Jayhawks could be missing two of their biggest stars, Hunter
Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr., because of injuries. The tournament
begins at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Tuesday, when newcomer
UCF plays Oklahoma State and Cincinnati players West Virginia.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Madison Booker had 17 points, Shay Holle hit a go-ahead
3-pointer with just over a minute to go, and sixth-ranked Texas beat
No. 16 Kansas State 71-64 on Monday. That sent the second-seeded
Longhorns into a Big 12 Tournament title game rematch against
fourth-seeded Iowa State. Aaliyah Moore added 14 points and Holle
finished with 11 for Texas, which blew a 14-point lead before
rallying from a 57-55 deficit with four minutes to go. Ayoka Lee had
25 points and 10 rebounds to lead the No. 3 seed Wildcats. Serena
Sundell added 12 points but also had six of Kansas State's 17
turnovers.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Audi Crooks had 25 points, Addy Brown added 16 and
fourth-seeded Iowa State romped to a 85-68 victory over top-seeded
and No. 19 Oklahoma on Monday. The win gives the Cyclones a chance to
defend their women’s Big 12 Tournament title. They beat Texas for
the championship last season and will meet again Tuesday night for
the title. Payton Verhulst had 23 points for the Sooners, who will
head to the SEC next season having lost their last seven Big 12
semifinals. Sahara Williams added 16 points and league co-player of
the year Skylar Vann finished with 12 for Oklahoma.

UNDATED (AP) —
Houston remains atop the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll
for the third consecutive week. The Cougars received 52 of 62
first-place votes from a national media panel after clinching the Big
12 regular-season title in their first year in the league. Defending
national champ UConn remained second with six first-place votes and
Purdue is third with four first-place votes. North Carolina moved up
to fourth and Kentucky jumped to No. 9 this week. Nevada entered at
No. 23 for the first time since 2019, while Texas Tech returned at
No. 25. San Diego State and South Florida fell out.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs finalized a five-year, $158.75
million contract with Chris Jones on Monday, keeping the All-Pro
tackle in the middle of their defensive line as they chase a
record-setting third consecutive Super Bowl title. Jones will make
$95 million guaranteed over the first three years of the deal, a
person familiar with the details told The Associated Press on
Saturday night, when the framework for the agreement was put in
place. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because
the financial terms for one of the biggest deals for a defensive
player in NFL history were not disclosed. Jones turns 30 in July.

UNDATED (AP) —
Kirk Cousins is heading to the Falcons. Saquon Barkley is joining the
Eagles. Brian Burns is going to the Giants. The first day of the
NFL’s legal tampering period was a free-for-all frenzy with teams
making one big move after another highlighted by Cousins’ decision
to leave Minnesota for Atlanta. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback
and the Falcons agreed on a $180 million deal, four-year deal with
$100 million guaranteed and a $50 million signing bonus. That's
according to a person with knowledge of the terms who spoke to The
Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t
be signed until the new league year begins on Wednesday.

UNDATED (AP) — A
person familiar says the New York Giants have agreed to acquire edge
rusher Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers. Burns is getting a
five-year contract worth up to $150 million with $87.5 million in
guarantees, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press
on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t be completed until
Wednesday. Burns, a two-time Pro Bowl pick, will sign his franchise
tag to facilitate the deal. Burns becomes the second-highest paid
defensive end in NFL history. Burns, who turns 26 next month, had 46
sacks in five seasons in Carolina.

GREENVILLE, S.C.
(AP) — The brother of LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson was arrested and
charged with assault and battery and disorderly conduct after getting
involved in his sister's scuffle with South Carolina forward Kamilla
Cardoso. The incident took place late in the Gamecocks' 79-72 victory
Sunday after Cardoso shoved Johnson. Cardoso was ejected. Trayron
Milton jumped over the scorer's table to reach the court and made
contact with Cardoso. He was led away by security. Greenville police
say Milton reached the court by pushing down an SEC employee and
stepping on her shoulders to get past.

Final	(21)Saint
Mary's (Cal.)	79	Santa Clara	65	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707734642080.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Houston is the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament after
winning the regular-season title in its first year in the league. The
top-ranked Cougars earned one of four double byes into the
quarterfinals on Thursday. Meanwhile, No. 16 Kansas dropped all the
way to the No. 6 seed and will play a second-round game on Wednesday.
The Jayhawks could be missing two of their biggest stars, Hunter
Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr., because of injuries. The tournament
begins at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Tuesday, when newcomer
UCF plays Oklahoma State and Cincinnati players West Virginia.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Madison Booker had 17 points, Shay Holle hit a go-ahead
3-pointer with just over a minute to go, and sixth-ranked Texas beat
No. 16 Kansas State 71-64 on Monday. That sent the second-seeded
Longhorns into a Big 12 Tournament title game rematch against
fourth-seeded Iowa State. Aaliyah Moore added 14 points and Holle
finished with 11 for Texas, which blew a 14-point lead before
rallying from a 57-55 deficit with four minutes to go. Ayoka Lee had
25 points and 10 rebounds to lead the No. 3 seed Wildcats. Serena
Sundell added 12 points but also had six of Kansas State's 17
turnovers.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Audi Crooks had 25 points, Addy Brown added 16 and
fourth-seeded Iowa State romped to a 85-68 victory over top-seeded
and No. 19 Oklahoma on Monday. The win gives the Cyclones a chance to
defend their women’s Big 12 Tournament title. They beat Texas for
the championship last season and will meet again Tuesday night for
the title. Payton Verhulst had 23 points for the Sooners, who will
head to the SEC next season having lost their last seven Big 12
semifinals. Sahara Williams added 16 points and league co-player of
the year Skylar Vann finished with 12 for Oklahoma.UNDATED (AP) —
Houston remains atop the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll
for the third consecutive week. The Cougars received 52 of 62
first-place votes from a national media panel after clinching the Big
12 regular-season title in their first year in the league. Defending
national champ UConn remained second with six first-place votes and
Purdue is third with four first-place votes. North Carolina moved up
to fourth and Kentucky jumped to No. 9 this week. Nevada entered at
No. 23 for the first time since 2019, while Texas Tech returned at
No. 25. San Diego State and South Florida fell out.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs finalized a five-year, $158.75
million contract with Chris Jones on Monday, keeping the All-Pro
tackle in the middle of their defensive line as they chase a
record-setting third consecutive Super Bowl title. Jones will make
$95 million guaranteed over the first three years of the deal, a
person familiar with the details told The Associated Press on
Saturday night, when the framework for the agreement was put in
place. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because
the financial terms for one of the biggest deals for a defensive
player in NFL history were not disclosed. Jones turns 30 in July.UNDATED (AP) —
Kirk Cousins is heading to the Falcons. Saquon Barkley is joining the
Eagles. Brian Burns is going to the Giants. The first day of the
NFL’s legal tampering period was a free-for-all frenzy with teams
making one big move after another highlighted by Cousins’ decision
to leave Minnesota for Atlanta. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback
and the Falcons agreed on a $180 million deal, four-year deal with
$100 million guaranteed and a $50 million signing bonus. That's
according to a person with knowledge of the terms who spoke to The
Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t
be signed until the new league year begins on Wednesday.UNDATED (AP) — A
person familiar says the New York Giants have agreed to acquire edge
rusher Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers. Burns is getting a
five-year contract worth up to $150 million with $87.5 million in
guarantees, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press
on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t be completed until
Wednesday. Burns, a two-time Pro Bowl pick, will sign his franchise
tag to facilitate the deal. Burns becomes the second-highest paid
defensive end in NFL history. Burns, who turns 26 next month, had 46
sacks in five seasons in Carolina.GREENVILLE, S.C.
(AP) — The brother of LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson was arrested and
charged with assault and battery and disorderly conduct after getting
involved in his sister's scuffle with South Carolina forward Kamilla
Cardoso. The incident took place late in the Gamecocks' 79-72 victory
Sunday after Cardoso shoved Johnson. Cardoso was ejected. Trayron
Milton jumped over the scorer's table to reach the court and made
contact with Cardoso. He was led away by security. Greenville police
say Milton reached the court by pushing down an SEC employee and
stepping on her shoulders to get past.MONDAY SCORESTOP-25 COLLEGE
BASKETBALLFinal	(17)Gonzaga	89	San
Francisco	77	Final	(21)Saint
Mary's (Cal.)	79	Santa Clara	65	MAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Boston	1	Pittsburgh	0	Final	Atlanta	3	Minnesota	0	Final	N.Y.
Yankees	2	Philadelphia	1	Final	Cleveland	5	L.A.
Dodgers	1	Final	Colorado	7	Chicago
White Sox	2	Final	San
Diego	13	Seattle	3	Final	San
Francisco	12	Kansas City	9	Final	Oakland	6	Arizona	5	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Detroit	5	Houston	3	Final	Toronto	9	Tampa
Bay	2	Final	N.Y.
Yankees	5	Baltimore	3	Final	Texas	15	L.A.
Angels	5	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Washington	11	St.
Louis	4	Final	Miami	1	N.Y.
Mets	0	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Detroit	114	Charlotte	97	Final	Phoenix	117	Cleveland	111	Final	Dallas	127	Chicago	92	Final	Golden
State	112	San Antonio	102	Final	Denver	125	Toronto	119	Final	Boston	121	Portland	99	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUEFinal	N-Y
Rangers	3	New Jersey	1	Final	St.
Louis	5	Boston	1	Final	Winnipeg	3	Washington	0

Tuesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs finalized a five-year, $158.75 million contract with Chris Jones on Monday, keeping the All-Pro tackle in the middle of their defensive line as they chase a record-setting third consecutive Super Bowl title.

Jones will make $95 million guaranteed over the first three years of the deal, a person familiar with the details told The Associated Press on Saturday night, when the framework for the agreement was put in place. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the financial terms for one of the biggest deals for a defensive player in NFL history were not disclosed.

“Five more years of greatness,” Jones said in a brief video posted Monday on X, formally known as Twitter. “This is everything we've dreamed about, talked about. Now let's get some more Super Bowl rings.”

Jones turns 30 in July, so the Chiefs are gambling that there will be no drop-off for one of the league's top pass rushers.

His agents, Michael and Jason Katz, tweeted their congratulations to “the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history.” Jones later tweeted an “A+” to Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, whose ownership of the franchise was given a failing grade when the NFL Players Association released its annual report card at the scouting combine.

Jones promised Chiefs fans at a victory parade following their overtime win over San Francisco in the Super Bowl that he'd be back to chase a three-peat, but that required getting a long-term deal done with a franchise bumping up against the salary cap.

The sides had tried and failed to do that the past two offseasons, and Jones skipped every offseason workout last year — including a mandatory minicamp and training camp — along with a Week 1 loss to Detroit while at an impasse. He piled up nearly $4 million in fines before agreeing to an incentive-laden one-year deal that got him back on the field this past season.

Jones proceeded to start every game in the regular season and playoffs, including a meaningless regular-season finale against the Chargers, when he got the last sack he needed to reach 10 1/2 for the season and trigger a $1.25 million bonus in his contract.

Jones' teammates certainly harbored no ill-will for his holdout; they rushed from the bench to celebrate the sack with him.

Jones had another half-sack in a wild-card win over Miami in one of the coldest games in NFL history, then helped a team yet to play a road playoff game during its recent run win games at Buffalo and Baltimore. That sent the Chiefs on to their fourth Super Bowl in five years, and the overtime win over the 49ers gave Jones his third championship ring.

Now, the affable defensive tackle will have the opportunity to win a fourth in Kansas City.

Jones was picked by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2016 draft out of Mississippi State, and he quickly earned a spot in the starting lineup. He was a second-team All-Pro in his second season, when he had 15 1/2 sacks, and then began his current run of five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances the following year.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs finalized a five-year, $158.75 million contract with Chris Jones on Monday, keeping the All-Pro tackle in the middle of their defensive line as they chase a record-setting third consecutive Super Bowl title.Jones will make $95 million guaranteed over the first three years of the deal, a person familiar with the details told The Associated Press on Saturday night, when the framework for the agreement was put in place. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the financial terms for one of the biggest deals for a defensive player in NFL history were not disclosed.“Five more years of greatness,” Jones said in a brief video posted Monday on X, formally known as Twitter. “This is everything we've dreamed about, talked about. Now let's get some more Super Bowl rings.”Jones turns 30 in July, so the Chiefs are gambling that there will be no drop-off for one of the league's top pass rushers.His agents, Michael and Jason Katz, tweeted their congratulations to “the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history.” Jones later tweeted an “A+” to Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, whose ownership of the franchise was given a failing grade when the NFL Players Association released its annual report card at the scouting combine.Jones promised Chiefs fans at a victory parade following their overtime win over San Francisco in the Super Bowl that he'd be back to chase a three-peat, but that required getting a long-term deal done with a franchise bumping up against the salary cap.The sides had tried and failed to do that the past two offseasons, and Jones skipped every offseason workout last year — including a mandatory minicamp and training camp — along with a Week 1 loss to Detroit while at an impasse. He piled up nearly $4 million in fines before agreeing to an incentive-laden one-year deal that got him back on the field this past season.Jones proceeded to start every game in the regular season and playoffs, including a meaningless regular-season finale against the Chargers, when he got the last sack he needed to reach 10 1/2 for the season and trigger a $1.25 million bonus in his contract.Jones' teammates certainly harbored no ill-will for his holdout; they rushed from the bench to celebrate the sack with him.Jones had another half-sack in a wild-card win over Miami in one of the coldest games in NFL history, then helped a team yet to play a road playoff game during its recent run win games at Buffalo and Baltimore. That sent the Chiefs on to their fourth Super Bowl in five years, and the overtime win over the 49ers gave Jones his third championship ring.Now, the affable defensive tackle will have the opportunity to win a fourth in Kansas City.Jones was picked by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2016 draft out of Mississippi State, and he quickly earned a spot in the starting lineup. He was a second-team All-Pro in his second season, when he had 15 1/2 sacks, and then began his current run of five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances the following year.

Chiefs, All-Pro DT Chris Jones finalize 5-year, $158.75M deal with $95M guaranteed

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, and total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking.

Others receiving votes: Boise St. 46, South Florida 27, San Diego St. 21, Drake 16, Texas 14, James Madison 14, FAU 11, Florida 8, Princeton 7, Nebraska 6, New Mexico 4, Colorado 2, McNeese St. 2, Colorado St. 1, Wake Forest 1, Indiana St 1.

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, and total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking.Record	Pts	Prv1. Houston (52)	28-3	1540	12. UConn (6)	28-3	1471	23. Purdue (4)	28-3	1453	34. North Carolina	25-6	1361	75. Tennessee	24-7	1291	46. Arizona	24-7	1125	57. Iowa St.	24-7	1120	68. Creighton	23-8	1094	109. Kentucky	23-8	1018	1510. Marquette	23-8	1011	811. Duke	24-7	976	912. Auburn	24-7	914	1313. Illinois	23-8	802	1214. Baylor	22-9	786	1115. South Carolina	25-6	567	1716. Kansas	22-9	558	1417. Gonzaga	24-6	511	1918. Utah St.	26-5	486	2219. Alabama	21-10	432	1620. BYU	22-9	381	2021. Saint Mary's	24-7	306	2322. Washington St	23-8	239	1823. Nevada	26-6	223	-24. Dayton	24-6	155	2525. Texas Tech	22-9	149	-Others receiving votes: Boise St. 46, South Florida 27, San Diego St. 21, Drake 16, Texas 14, James Madison 14, FAU 11, Florida 8, Princeton 7, Nebraska 6, New Mexico 4, Colorado 2, McNeese St. 2, Colorado St. 1, Wake Forest 1, Indiana St 1.

AP Top 25

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Monday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Monday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/natxodff/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>- Monday Sports Headlines- Great Bend Tribune's Jim Misunas- Sounds of the Weekend

Monday on Sports Day (Listen)

INDIANAPOLIS - The Fort Hays State men's basketball team earned an at-large bid into the 2024 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championships, announced Sunday (March 10) by the NCAA office. With a record of 23-7, the Tigers received the No. 6 seed in the Central Region and will take on No. 3 seed Minnesota Duluth in the regional quarterfinals on Saturday (March 16).

Minnesota State is the top seed in the region and will host the regional in Mankato, Minn. March 16, 17 and 19.

This is Fort Hays State's 14th trip to an NCAA Central Regional and first since 2016. It is the eighth appearance in an NCAA regional under head coach Mark Johnson. The Tigers are 10-12 all-time in the tournament, including a 7-8 record in neutral-site contests. This will be the first-ever meeting between the Tigers and Bulldogs (25-6).

The Tigers last played in the NCAA Tournament in the 2016 regional quarterfinals. The Tigers are 3-4 in regional quarterfinal games. Fort Hays State has played in three regional title games, winning one en route to its national title in 1996.

Two other MIAA schools join FHSU in the field of eight, including No. 2 Northwest Missouri State and No. 5 Pittsburg State. The Northern Sun has four teams in the field, and the Great American Conference earned one bid.

The winner of the Central Region will meet up with seven other regional champions at the 2024 NCAA Division II Men's Elite Eight in Evansville, Ind. March 26-30.

More information on the regional, including game times, ticket information and more will be released as it becomes available.

2024 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship Central Region Tournament Quarterfinal Matchups

No. 1 Minnesota State (29-2) vs. No. 8 Arkansas Tech (25-6)

No. 2 Northwest Missouri State (27-4) vs. No. 7 Southwest Minnesota State (19-12)

No. 3 Minnesota Duluth (25-6) vs. No. 6 Fort Hays State (23-7)

No. 4 MSU Moorhead (24-5) vs. No. 5 Pittsburg State (21-10)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710177954328.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>INDIANAPOLIS - The Fort Hays State men's basketball team earned an at-large bid into the 2024 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championships, announced Sunday (March 10) by the NCAA office. With a record of 23-7, the Tigers received the No. 6 seed in the Central Region and will take on No. 3 seed Minnesota Duluth in the regional quarterfinals on Saturday (March 16).Minnesota State is the top seed in the region and will host the regional in Mankato, Minn. March 16, 17 and 19.This is Fort Hays State's 14th trip to an NCAA Central Regional and first since 2016. It is the eighth appearance in an NCAA regional under head coach Mark Johnson. The Tigers are 10-12 all-time in the tournament, including a 7-8 record in neutral-site contests. This will be the first-ever meeting between the Tigers and Bulldogs (25-6).The Tigers last played in the NCAA Tournament in the 2016 regional quarterfinals. The Tigers are 3-4 in regional quarterfinal games. Fort Hays State has played in three regional title games, winning one en route to its national title in 1996.Two other MIAA schools join FHSU in the field of eight, including No. 2 Northwest Missouri State and No. 5 Pittsburg State. The Northern Sun has four teams in the field, and the Great American Conference earned one bid.The winner of the Central Region will meet up with seven other regional champions at the 2024 NCAA Division II Men's Elite Eight in Evansville, Ind. March 26-30.More information on the regional, including game times, ticket information and more will be released as it becomes available.2024 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship Central Region Tournament Quarterfinal MatchupsNo. 1 Minnesota State (29-2) vs. No. 8 Arkansas Tech (25-6)No. 2 Northwest Missouri State (27-4) vs. No. 7 Southwest Minnesota State (19-12)No. 3 Minnesota Duluth (25-6) vs. No. 6 Fort Hays State (23-7)No. 4 MSU Moorhead (24-5) vs. No. 5 Pittsburg State (21-10)

Men's Basketball Picked for 14th NCAA DII Regional Tournament

By Matt McMullen Senior Team Reporter

The Kansas City Chiefs received one compensatory pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday, pushing their overall total to seven selections.

Compensatory picks are allotted to teams that lost significant free agents the year prior and are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. The newly acquired selection is in the fifth round (No. 172 overall).

Here's a look at the Chiefs' updated allotment of draft selections this year.

Round 5: No. 172 overall (Compensatory Pick)

The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off on April 25 in Detroit and will continue over the course of three days.

By Matt McMullen Senior Team ReporterThe Kansas City Chiefs received one compensatory pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday, pushing their overall total to seven selections.Compensatory picks are allotted to teams that lost significant free agents the year prior and are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. The newly acquired selection is in the fifth round (No. 172 overall).Here's a look at the Chiefs' updated allotment of draft selections this year.Round 1: No. 32 overallRound 2: No. 64 overallRound 3: No. 95 overallRound 4: No. 131 overallRound 5 (via Dallas): No. 158 overallRound 5: No. 172 overall (Compensatory Pick)Round 7: No. 252 overallThe 2024 NFL Draft kicks off on April 25 in Detroit and will continue over the course of three days.