LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Bill Self feels pretty good about Hunter Dickinson’s availability for the NCAA Tournament. The Kansas coach frankly has no idea what to expect of his other All-America candidate, Kevin McCullar Jr. And he’s not the only one fretting the health of their teams with First Four games beginning Tuesday and the tournament ramping up to full speed Thursday and Friday. Whether it’s Marquette star Tyler Kolek's oblique injury or Houston big man J’Wan Roberts dealing with some leg soreness, injuries could play a big role in what transpires over the next three weeks.
UNDATED (AP) — Reigning national champion Connecticut is back at No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball poll. The Huskies swapped places with Houston a day after UConn was picked as the top overall seed for the NCAA Tournament. Houston fell to No. 2 after losing to Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament title game. The Cyclones jumped to No. 4 for their highest ranking in more than eight years. The final Top 25 will be released for the first time the day after the NCAA title game.
UNDATED (AP) — South Carolina, Iowa, USC and Texas are the top four teams in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll, a day after all four were chosen as the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament that begins later this week. The undefeated Gamecocks remain the unanimous No. 1. Texas moved up one spot to fourth after winning the Big 12 Tournament. The Longhorns earned their first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament since 2004.
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Last year, a team from New Jersey called Fairleigh Dickinson played its way out of the First Four and then became one of the most improbable bracket-busters in NCAA Tournament history. Two days after winning in Dayton, the Knights upset Purdue, only the second time in history a No. 16 seed beat a No 1 seed. Eight teams begin their NCAA Tournament journey on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, hoping to be the next team to start in Dayton and do some bracket busting. Wagner faces Howard on Tuesday night, followed by Colorado State against Virginia. On Wednesday, Grambling plays Montana State, and Colorado draws Boise State.
UNDATED (AP) — It is time to fill out those NCAA Tournament brackets with the arrival of March Madness. Duke statistics Professor Ezra Miller says an informed fan has perhaps a 1 in 2 billion chance at picking a perfect ballot. Experts say artificial intelligence has been used by bracketologists for years and is always evolving. But AI is no guarantee of success and doesn't provide some of the critical thinking on details by human beings. The experts say finding the balance between statistical modeling and intuition is ongoing in the hunt for bracket perfection.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Bettors expect a lot of upsets in this year's NCAA Tournament. They are placing wagers on long shots to win. The First Four is Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio. The tournament begins in full Thursday. Recent history has shown some of those fliers can turn into big money. Saint Peter’s made the Sweet 16 two years ago as a No. 15 seed. Last year’s Final Four included a very un-blue-blooded San Diego State, Florida Atlantic and Miami.
UNDATED (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a $62 million, two-year contract. Snell has the right to opt out after this season and become a free agent. A 30-year-old left-hander, Snell is 71-55 with a 3.20 ERA in 191 starts over eight major league seasons, winning Cy Youngs in 2018 with Tampa Bay and last year with San Diego.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The Dodgers are paying $700 million for Shohei Ohtani. That means his loyal fans in Japan will be paying big time for his merchandise. A store called Selection in Tokyo's Shijuku area sells gear for all 30 MLB teams, but store employees say about 60-70% of the sales are for Dodgers gear, or Ohtani-specific gear. And it's not cheap. One Dodgers cap with Ohtani's signature on the side and his No. 17 goes for $150. A Dodgers uniform top sells for about $500. If you want a baseball that Ohtani threw last year in an MLB game, that will be $22,000.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — A person with knowledge of the move says the Dallas Cowboys are slightly reducing quarterback Dak Prescott’s massive salary cap hit by reworking his contract going into the final year of the deal. A $5 million roster bonus has been converted into a signing bonus to reduce the 2024 cap hit by $4 million. It's now at $55 million. The Cowboys can create more salary cap relief with an extension for Prescott. He is coming off a wild-card loss at home to Green Bay that dropped his playoff record to 2-5.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Golf is always searching for the next Tiger Woods. Scottie Scheffler is the next candidate. The world's No. 1 player left little doubt when he became the first back-to-back winner of The Players Championship. His lead atop the world ranking is the biggest in seven years. His consistency and nine worldwide wins in the last 25 months is what gets people talking. Scheffler was quick to point out that while he has been No. 1 for a total of 78 weeks, Woods was No. 1 for just over 13 years. Scheffler says to be mentioned alongside Woods is special.
MONDAY SCORES
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Final N.Y. Yankees 4 Philadelphia 3
Final Tampa Bay 7 Atlanta 3
Final Miami 6 Houston 5
Final Milwaukee 4 L.A. Angels 3
Final Washington 10 Houston 1
Final L.A. Dodgers 5 Korea 2
Final Oakland 3 Arizona 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Minnesota 5 Boston 2
Final Seattle 9 Texas 5
Final Cleveland 8 Chicago White Sox 5
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Pittsburgh 11 Philadelphia 2
Final San Francisco 4 Cincinnati 2
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Cleveland 108 Indiana 103
Final Boston 119 Detroit 94
Final Philadelphia 98 Miami 91
Final Chicago 110 Portland 107
Final Minnesota 114 Utah 104
Final New York 119 Golden State 112
Final L.A. Lakers 136 Atlanta 105
Final OT Sacramento 121 Memphis 111
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Washington 5 Calgary 2