INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — High-scoring Michigan had to get down and dirty to dig out the national title, making only two 3-pointers all night but still muscling its way to a 69-63 victory over stingy, stubborn UConn. Elliot Cadeau led the Wolverines with 19 points, including the team’s first 3, which came 7:04 into the second half. The second, from freshman Trey McKenney, came with 1:50 left and felt like a dagger, giving the Wolverines a nine-point lead. UConn fought to the finish in a game that had a 1950s feel. Alex Karaban scored 17 points for UConn, which was denied in its bid for a third title in four seasons.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Michigan has won a national championship with a roster full of transfers. The Wolverines held off UConn 69-63 on Monday night for the program's first title since 1989. It came behind an all-transfer starting lineup and only two rotation players who had not started their careers elsewhere. Coach Dusty May did such a good job in bringing that roster together that the Wolverines were able to counter every move by the Huskies. They were too much for UConn even though they had a rough shooting night and star Yaxel Lendeborg was hobbled by injuries.
North Carolina is working toward finalizing a deal with NBA championship-winning coach Michael Malone to take over the Tar Heels' basketball program. That's according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the school hasn't publicly discussed its search. Malone would replace former UNC player and assistant coach Hubert Davis, who was fired on March 24 after five seasons. Malone had 10-year run with Denver that included leading the Nuggets to the 2023 world title. He joins football coach Bill Belichick as another pro championship winner in Chapel Hill.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama suffered a left rib contusion and was ruled out of the second half of San Antonio’s 115-102 win over Philadelphia on Monday night, leaving the status of the Spurs’ center for the rest of the regular season in doubt. Wembanyama took an inadvertent elbow to the ribs from Paul George when the Philadelphia forward was attempting to deflect a pass as the 7-foot-4 Frenchman was sprinting up court on a fastbreak with 10:49 remaining in the first half. Wembanyama tumbled to the court and remained down for a minute. Whether Wembanyama will be available for the Spurs’ final three games of the regular season — all at home — against Portland (Wednesday), Dallas (Friday) and Denver (Sunday) wasn’t known after Monday’s game.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Tiger Woods is a topic of conversation at the Masters without even being there. Jason Day is among players who wish the best for his recovery from an arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence during a car accident. But Day also says it was selfish of Woods to be driving. It follows Nick Faldo saying it's time Woods is held accountable. Woods has entered a not guilty plea to the charge from the March 27 accident. He also was granted a motion to seek treatment outside the country. Day says he hopes Woods comes out of this better.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — First-time participants almost never win the Masters. Then again, they rarely show up with a resume like Chris Gotterup’s. The 26-year-old Gotterup already has four PGA Tour wins. He’ll be the third player since World War II to make his Masters debut with that many. He’s already won twice this year and joins Ben Griffin and Jacob Bridgeman as the highest-ranked first-timers this week. Not since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 has a Masters rookie won the tournament, and before that nobody had won his debut since Gene Sarazen in the second year of the event.
The NBA, typically, saves its best for last. Here’s hoping that rings true again this spring. You may have noticed there’s a lot of bad basketball out there right now. Blowouts are happening with record-setting regularity. Some teams are tanking, which is forcing the NBA’s hand to make changes to the lottery system. And Giannis Antetokounmpo says he and the Milwaukee Bucks need couples therapy. But perhaps the real problem here is those storylines are overshadowing so much of what is good as the NBA gets set for its best time of year, the playoffs.
DERBY, England (AP) — United States international Patrick Agyemang will miss his home World Cup after suffering a serious Achilles tendon injury. Agyemang was visibly emotional when he was stretchered off during Derby's 2-0 victory over Stoke in the second-tier English Championship on Monday. Derby has confirmed the striker will miss soccer's biggest tournament. The World Cup is being held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico in June and July. Agyemang has helped Derby into contention for promotion to the Premier League with a team-leading 10 goals since arriving last summer from Charlotte in Major League Soccer.
The New Jersey Devils are parting ways with general manager Tom Fitzgerald in an abrupt late-season change of direction for a team that is set to miss the playoffs. Co-owner David Blitzer announced Monday that a decision had been made for Fitzgerald to leave the organization. Fitzgerald had been in charge of hockey operations since January 2020 and was responsible for building much of the core of the roster. New Jersey reached the playoffs just twice in the past five seasons.
BOSTON (AP) — Hall of Fame defensive lineman Steve McMichael has been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy. McMichael died last year at 67 after a five-year battle with ALS. His wife said the key member of the dominating defense that helped the 1985 Chicago Bears win the Super Bowl pledged his brain to research to help understand the link between CTE and ALS. CTE is a degenerative brain disease that has been found in athletes in contact sports, combat veterans and others exposed to repetitive head trauma. It can only be diagnosed after death.
Finals
INTERLEAGUE
Final Tampa Bay 6 Chicago Cubs 4
Final Milwaukee 8 Boston 6
Final L.A. Dodgers 14 Toronto 2
Final Colorado 9 Houston 7
Final L.A. Angels 6 Atlanta 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Kansas City 4 Cleveland 2
Final Baltimore 2 Chicago White Sox 1
Final Minnesota 7 Detroit 3
Final Texas 2 Seattle 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Cincinnati 2 Miami 0
Final San Diego 5 Pittsburgh 0
Final Washington 9 St. Louis 6
Final Philadelphia 6 San Francisco 4
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Buffalo 4 Tampa Bay 2
Final Winnipeg 6 Seattle 2
Final San Jose 3 Chicago 2
Final SO Los Angeles 3 Nashville 2
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (3)Michigan 69 (7)UConn 63