UNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to a $5 million contract for next season with three-time Pro Bowler Kyle Long, who will come out of retirement to help their rebuilt offensive line, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday night. The Chiefs also agreed to one-year deals to keep running back Darrel Williams, linebacker Ben Niemann and defensive end Taco Charlton, sources told The AP. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the deals have not been announced.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — After four consecutive losing seasons, the Kansas City Royals are done with rebuilding. The team has signed veteran first baseman Carlos Santana and traded for Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi. Those moves should help fill their two biggest offensive holes. It should help veterans such as Whit Merrifield and the rest of the Royals feel they can compete for a division title again.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — For a team that’s been a NCAA Tournament regular much of the past decade, Wichita State is still a bit taken aback by its latest appearance. The Shockers seemed an unlikely participant following a tumultuous offseason featuring players exits and the resignation of longtime coach Gregg Marshall amid misconduct allegations. Isaac Brown took over on an interim basis but is now the Shockers' permanent coach after guiding them to their first AAC regular season title. They enter the tournament as a No. 11 seed and will face Drake in a First Four play-in game.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Drake basketball coach Darian DeVries has agreed to an eight-year contract extension through 2028-29, athletic director Brian Hardin announced Wednesday night. DeVries has led the Bulldogs to 20-win seasons each of his first three years at the school. Drake's 25 wins this season are third-most in the nation. The Bulldogs play Wichita State in an NCAA First Four game on Thursday. Terms of the extension weren’t announced. DeVries has twice been named the Missouri Valley Conference coach of the year.
UNDATED (AP) — Baylor guards Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell and MaCio Teague spend long hours going 1-on-1 against each other. Those are really the toughest matchups they face. It is also quite a challenge for opposing teams when that trio is on the court together. The Bears won their first Big 12 regular-season title this season and are a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Baylor is 48-6 the past two seasons since transfers Mitchell and Teague became eligible to play. They play Hartford in a first-round game Friday in Indianapolis.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — There are very limited options to get out and about for the hundreds of players in Indiana for the NCAA men's basketball tournament. They can head to a minor league ballpark to play around on the field. and get a breath of fresh air. Otherwise, they are largely limited to their hotels, the convention center for practices and meeting rooms to talk strategy. The players at Wisconsin are enjoying some pingpong and spikeball in their rooms.
UNDATED (AP) — Eastern Washington coach Shantay Legans borrows offensive and defensive schemes straight from the coach his team is about to face in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The imitation is purely a show of respect toward longtime Kansas coach Bill Self. Legans has never had a sit-down conversation with Self but feels like he knows Self given how much time he’s studied Self’s teams and style. Legans and Self also have in common the experience of dealing with their seasons being disrupted due to coronavirus protocols. The third-seeded Jayhawks will be without two of their players due to the protocols when they play No. 14 seed Eastern Washington.
UNDATED (AP) — Oklahoma guard De’Vion Harmon will miss the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament after testing positive for COVID-19. Harmon is the Sooners' No. 2 scorer, averaging 12.9 points while providing 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest. The sophomore scored 22 points earlier in the season in a win over Kansas and a career-high 23 in a loss to Oklahoma State.
UNDATED (AP) — Oklahoma women’s basketball coach Sherri Coale is retiring after 25 years leading the program. Coale is a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and will be inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame this summer. She led three Oklahoma teams to the Final Four, and the Sooners reached the national title game in 2002. She is a four-time Big 12 Coach of the Year who led the Sooners to six Big 12 regular-season and four Big 12 tournament titles. She finished her college coaching career with a 512-293 record.
WEDNESDAY SCORES
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Sacramento 121 Washington 119
Final Brooklyn 124 Indiana 115
Final Detroit 116 Toronto 112
Final OT Milwaukee 109 Philadelphia 105
Final San Antonio 106 Chicago 99
Final Golden State 108 Houston 94
Final Cleveland 117 Boston 110
Final Denver 129 Charlotte 104
Final Memphis 89 Miami 85
Final Dallas 105 L.A. Clippers 89