UNDATED (AP) — Purdue claimed the top overall seed over reigning national champion Connecticut in the first look at the potential top 16 seeds for the NCAA Tournament. The committee that will select the field of 68 revealed its preliminary list of top teams Saturday. Purdue and then UConn have topped The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for five straight weeks, although with the Huskies at No. 1 in the Top 25. Houston and Arizona were the other two No. 1 seeds. North Carolina was the fifth overall seed and headlined the list of regional 2-seeds. Selection Sunday is March 17.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State has stunned No. 2 Purdue in its interim coach’s debut, winning 73-69 a day after the NCAA Tournament selection committee picked the Boilermakers as the early favorite to be the No. 1 overall seed during March Madness. Bruce Thornton scored 22 points and Jamison Battle added 19 points to help Ohio State pull off the upset in Jake Diebler’s first game at the helm on Sunday. The Ohio State fans stormed the court. Chris Holtmann was fired Wednesday after the beleaguered Buckeyes had lost nine of their last eleven games. Zach Edey finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds for Purdue.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NBA wanted more competition. It got more points instead — more than ever before. And once again, the All-Star Game was all offense. The Eastern Conference beat the Western Conference 211-186 on Sunday night in the All-Star Game, with the winners putting up the most points in the game’s 73-year history. The previous mark: 196 by the West in 2016. It was a barrage of records: The total points of 397 smashed the 374 points that were scored in 2017.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — NASCAR has postponed the season-opening Daytona 500 until Monday because of two days of rain at Daytona International Speedway. The race had been scheduled for Sunday afternoon, although the weather forecast put that in doubt all week. The final practice for drivers was canceled Saturday, as was the Xfinity Series race. The Xfinity Series race is now scheduled to be held Monday morning, hours ahead of the 4 p.m. start for the Daytona 500. Joey Logano is set to start from the pole for Team Penske.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — NASCAR teams have hired one of the country’s top antitrust and sports lawyers to advise them in their ongoing dispute with the family-owned stock car series over a new revenue-sharing model. The decision to hire Jeffrey Kessler followed a Saturday meeting at Daytona International Speedway that included the majority owner from each of the 15 chartered teams in NASCAR. Kessler’s hiring was revealed to The Associated Press on Sunday, the eve of the rain-postponed Daytona 500, by the five members of the team ownership negotiating committee.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hideki Matsuyama now has more PGA Tour wins than any Asian-born player. Matsuyama won the Genesis Invitational with another record. His 62 was the lowest closing round by a winner at Riviera. He needed a round like that to make up a six-shot deficit at the start of the day. There was a five-way tie for the lead at one point on the back nine. Matsuyama pulled away with three straight birdies. Two of them were inside a foot from the hole. Matsuyama now has nine PGA Tour wins. That's one more than K.J. Choi of South Korea.
Shohei Ohtani did not participate in live batting practice Sunday, and his Los Angeles Dodgers spring training debut is on hold. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani, who is coming back from elbow surgery, will not play in Thursday’s opener against the San Diego Padres. The two-time MVP signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract as a free agent in December. Roberts, though, has been encouraged by Ohtani’s progress physically. The two-time AL MVP won’t pitch this season following right elbow surgery on Sept. 19, but hopes to be ready as a hitter by the team's March 20 opener.
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The International Olympic Committee will not change its rules on age limits to let boxing great Manny Pacquiao compete at the Paris Games. Pacquiao wanted to come out of retirement to box at age 45 in the Olympic tournament in Paris where medal bouts will be staged at the Roland Garros tennis complex. The IOC says it wrote to Olympic officials in Philippines explaining the age limit of 40 will be upheld. Pacquiao ended his storied career in September 2021 after winning 12 world titles at a record eight different weight divisions.
SUNDAY SCORES
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final Ohio St. 73 (2)Purdue 69
Final South Florida 90 (24)FAU 86
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final East NBA All Stars 211 West NBA All Stars 186
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final OT N-Y Rangers 6 N-Y Islanders 5
Final Los Angeles 2 Pittsburgh 1