March 23, 2022 3:47 am
UNDATED (AP) – Back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay wasn’t the only recent Stanley Cup winner to bolster itself at the trade deadline for the playoffs. St. Louis, Washington and Pittsburgh all made moves in the hope of recapturing some old magic this spring. The Blues traded away another member of the 2019 Cup team in Oskar Sundqvist to upgrade on defense with Nick Leddy. The Capitals brought back Marcus Johansson, whom they traded away before winning the Cup in 2018. And the Penguins shuffled out two roster players to add winger Rickard Rakell.
March 23, 2022 3:45 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Nick Castellanos and the Philadelphia Phillies have finalized a $100 million, five-year contract. The All-Star outfielder agreed to the deal last week after the Phillies added slugger Kyle Schwarber. He’ll be introduced at the team’s spring training complex on Wednesday. Castellanos batted .309 with 34 homers, 100 RBIs and a .939 OPS last year for the Cincinnati Reds, making his first All-Star team and winning a Silver Slugger Award. He is a .278 career hitter with 168 home runs, 594 RBIs and an .814 OPS in nine major league seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs and Reds.
March 22, 2022 3:56 am
The Penguins have acquired winger Rickard Rakell from the Anaheim Ducks, a proven offensive weapon with a pair of 30-goal seasons on his resume and another 20-plus goal season. The Ducks will retain 35% of Rakell’s $3.8 million cap. Rakell will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. In exchange, the Penguins sent Anaheim a considerable haul that included NHL roster players Zach Aston-Reese and Dominik Simon, goalie prospect Calle Clang (who was a 2020 third-round pick) and a 2022 second-round pick.
March 22, 2022 3:43 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Minnesota Wild have acquired goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks hours before the NHL trade deadline. The Wild hope the three-time Stanley Cup winner can help them with a late-season playoff push. Minnesota gave up a conditional first-round pick in this year’s draft to acquire the 37-year-old, who won the Vezina Trophy a year ago with Vegas.
March 22, 2022 3:44 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – The Associated Press has learned that the Indianapolis Colts have acquired their new quarterback, Matt Ryan, in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons. Indy is sending a third-round pick, No. 82 overall, for the longtime Falcons star. Ryan led Atlanta to its second Super Bowl appearance following the 2016 season. That was the same season Ryan was named the league’s MVP. Ryan’s arrival means the Colts will be starting a new opening-day quarterback for the sixth consecutive year.
March 22, 2022 3:40 am
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) – Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz is hoping to turn last season’s cameo into a full-time gig. Cruz made his major league debut last October, appearing in two games and hitting the first home run of his big league career. The 6-foot-7 Cruz is considered a vital piece of Pittsburgh’s rebuilding project. Cruz says his goal during spring training is to earn a roster spot. Manager Derek Shelton thinks Cruz will likely start the season at Triple-A, a move that will allow the team to experiment by moving Cruz to different positions.
March 21, 2022 3:50 am
UNDATED (AP) – Second-seeded Auburn is returning home without advancing to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. No. 10 Miami is in the regional semifinals for the first time in six years following a 79-61 stifling of the Tigers. Isaiah Wong scored 21 points and Kameron McGusty had 20 as the Hurricanes humbled a team that spent three weeks atop The Associated Press men’s basketball poll. Jabari Smith had just 10 points on 3 of 16 shooting for Auburn, while Walker Kessler was held to two points.
Later on, top seed Arizona was taken to overtime before disposing of TCU, 85-80. Bennedict Mathurin made a 3-pointer to force overtime and scored six more points in the extra session to finish with 30. Christian Koloko shot 12 of 13 from the field and scored 28, including a putback dunk that slammed the door on the Horned Frogs with 9 seconds left.
In other second-round action:
– Duke star freshman Paolo Banchero scored 19 points and muscled in the go-ahead drive through contact with 2:05 left, putting the Blue Devils ahead in an 85-76 victory over Michigan State. Duke reached the Sweet 16 for the 26th time under Mike Krzyzewski, who earned his record-extending 1,200th win.
– Collin Gillespie scored 20 points and second-seeded Villanova advanced to the Sweet 16 for the eighth time under Jay Wright by holding off Ohio State, 71-61. Gillespie scored 10 consecutive points on a pair of free throws, two 3-pointers and a steal and layup as Villanova needed less than eight minutes to build a double-digit lead on its way to a 39-28 halftime lead. The Wildcats saw a 15-point lead trimmed to two before they closed on an 11-3 run, keyed by Eric Dixon’s 3-pointer.
– Jaden Ivey made a critical 3-pointer with 1:01 left and finished with 18 points to carry Purdue past Texas, 81-71. Trevion Williams scored 22 points to lead the Boilermakers, who capitalized on a major disparity at the free-throw line to reach the Sweet 16. Purdue had 46 attempts, making 33, while the Longhorns went 7 of 12 on free throws.
– Houston was a 68-53 winner over Illinois to reach the Sweet 16 for the third straight year. Taze Moore scored 21 points and Jamal Shead had 18 last year’s semifinalists, who lost their two best players to season-ending injuries. Kyler Edwards added 15 points and helped Houston pull away after leading by four at halftime.
– Gabe Kalscheur scored 22 points and 11th-seeded Iowa State surprised Wisconsin in the Badgers’ backyard, advancing to the Sweet 16 with a 54-49 victory. Kalscheur went 10 for 19 from the field, while the rest of the Cyclones combined for 10 made field goals. Izaiah Brockington added 10 points as the gritty Cyclones used their tough defense to hold the Badgers under 30% shooting.
– Kevin McCullar made an emphatic dunk with 15 seconds left, capping a 10-1 closing run for No. 3 seed Texas Tech in a 59-53 victory over Notre Dame. Kevin Obanor had 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Red Raiders, while McCullar and Bryson Williams each scored 14. Dane Goodwin scored 14 points for 11th-seeded Irish, who led 52-49 with just over two minutes left.
March 21, 2022 3:56 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Red Sox have reportedly agreed to terms with Rockies All-Star shortstop Trevor Story on a six-year, $140 million contract that would bring him to Boston to play second base.
The deal gives the Red Sox a long-term answer at second. The position has been in flux since former AL MVP Dustin Pedroia (peh-DROY’-ah) was first injured in 2017.
In other baseball news:
– Kyle Schwarber and the Philadelphia Phillies have finalized their $79 million, four-year contract. The 29-year-old slugging outfielder split last season with Washington and Boston, hitting .266 with 32 home runs. Philadelphia also has a pending $100 million, five-year contract with free-agent slugger Nick Castellanos.
– Mariners manager Scott Servais says right-hander Casey Sadler needs season-ending surgery on his injured right shoulder. The 31-year-old had an 0.67 ERA in 42 games last season, including a franchise-record run of 29 consecutive scoreless appearances.
March 20, 2022 9:18 am
Defending champion Baylor is 1st top seed to fall
UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA men’s basketball tournament continues without the defending champs.
Top-seeded Baylor erased a 25-point deficit in the second half to force overtime before North Carolina regrouped to beat the Bears, 93-86 in the second round. RJ Davis poured in a career-high 30 points and Brady Manek added a season-high 26 before being ejected for a flagrant foul. Baylor’s comeback started minutes after Manek drained a 3-pointer that gave the Tar Heels a 67-42 lead. Armando Bacot had 15 points and 16 rebounds for the 26-9 Tar Heels. Adam Flagler had 27 points for Baylor, which finishes 27-7.
Two other No. 1 seeds struggled before reaching the Sweet 16.
Top overall seed Gonzaga rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat No. 9 Memphis, 82-78. Drew Timme scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half to help the Bulldogs avoid an early ouster. Andrew Nembhard added 23 points for the Bulldogs. who trailed at halftime for only the fourth time this season.
Remy Martin led Kansas in scoring for the second straight game, providing 20 points in a 79-72 victory against Creighton. Ochai Agbaji furnished 13 of his 15 points in the second half, putting the Jayhawks ahead for good with his first basket shortly after intermission.
Meanwhile, the glass slipper still fits Saint Peter’s as the Peacocks became the third No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16. KC Ndefo dropped in 17 points as Saint Peters’ beat Murray State, 70-60.
Doug Edert came off the bench to score 13 points for the Peacocks, including some big baskets late. Saint Peter’s built a 13-point lead early in the second half and never trailed, but Murray State still made it tense got within two before the Peacocks closed on an 11-3 run.
In other second-round action:
— No. 11 Michigan booked the most surprising of its five straight trips to the Sweet 16 by beating third seed Tennessee, 76-68. Eli Brooks put Michigan ahead for good with a three-point play and delivered four critical points in the final minute. Brooks finished with 23 points and Hunter Dickinson had 27 with 10 rebounds, grabbing two boards in the closing seconds.
— Tyger Campbell scored 16 points and fourth-seeded UCLA advanced to the regional semifinals for the second straight year by beating fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s, 72-56. The Bruins lost star Jaime Jacquez Jr. to a right ankle injury with 6:58 left in the game after he scored 15 points, all in the first half. Johnny Juzang made three consecutive jumpers that put the Bruins up 54-44 with 9:41 left.
— Noah Horchler scored 16 points and No. 4 Providence moved into the Sweet 16 for the first time in 25 years by pounding Richmond, 79-51. The Friars had their best 3-point shooting performance of the season, hitting 54.5% from downtown on 12 of 22. Providence controlled the game from the start and went up 21 on the Spiders less than two minutes into the second half.
— Fourth-seeded Arkansas is in the Sweet 16 for a second consecutive year following a 53-48 win over No. 12 New Mexico State. JD Notae scored 18 points before fouling out with 1:22 left and Jaylin Williams had 10 points and 15 rebounds for the Razorbacks
March 20, 2022 9:20 am
CINCINNATI (AP) — Former Arizona men’s basketball coach Sean Miller has returned to Xavier, less than a year after being fired by Arizona amid an ongoing NCAA investigation that’s stretched nearly four years. Miller went 120-47 at Xavier from 2004-09, leading the Musketeers to four NCAA Tournaments before being hired at Arizona. Miller and the Wildcats have been in the NCAA’s crosshairs since being ensnared in a 2017 FBI investigation into shady recruiting practices.
