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UPCOMING

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BKC--MARCH MADNESS

DESCRIPTION: Text coverage of the men’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament:

Previews/features:

BKC--NCAA-Midwest Preview -- Iowa State has never made it past the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. It has a good chance this year as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest, a region where it seems like everyone has something to prove. By Dave Skretta. Text, photos by 6 p.m.

BKC--NCAA-West Preview -- It’s been nearly three decades since a school located anywhere remotely close to the West Coast won an NCAA championship. Top-seeded Arizona has the talent to end the Western drought this March, and the Wildcats start their quest on the edge of the Pacific Ocean in San Diego alongside eighth-seeded Villanova. By Greg Beacham. Text, photos by 6 p.m. PDT. Games (NCAA seeds listed, tipoff times Eastern). Text, photos planned for each with sidebars on merit.

BKC--NCAA-Surprising Wright St. -- Wright State coach Clint Sargent watched quietly as his players bounced and weaved their way through the team circle to celebrate their unexpected Horizon League Tournament title. He wanted those guys, the ones who stuck around, the ones who transferred in and the freshmen who were introduced to college basketball this season to savor their unexpected success. By Michael Marot. Text, photos by 1 p.m.

BKC—NCAA Tournament- Miami-(Ohio)-Speedos — PHILADELPHIA -- Miami (Ohio) has already made a splash with its first NCAA Tournament win in 27 years. It’s gotten a boost from its cheering section -- Redhawks swimmers stripped to their Speedos and served as a distraction in recent home game, as well as the tournament opener in Dayton, Ohio. By Dan Gelston. UPCOMING. 600 words. By 7 p.m. AP Photos.

BKC--NCAA-Finding Cinderella -- The top seeds in this year’s NCAA Tournament are generally heavy favorites in their first-round games. That could make it difficult for fans to spot an upstart ready to pull an upset. By Aaron Beard. 800 words, photos by 6 a.m.

Greenville, S.C.: No. 9 TCU vs. No. 8 Ohio State, 12:15 p.m. (East). By Steve Reed. No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena, 2:50 p.m. (East). By Aaron Beard. No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU, 6:50 p.m. (South). By Steve Reed. No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Penn, 9:25 p.m. (South). By Steve Reed.

Oklahoma City: No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy, 12:40 p.m. (South). By Cliff Brunt. No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese, 3:15 p.m. (South). By Tim Willert. No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 Texas A&M, 5:35 p.m. (South). By Cliff Brunt. No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho, 10:10 p.m. (South). By Tim Willert.

Buffalo, N.Y.: No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida, 1:30 p.m. (East). By John Wawrow. No. 3 Michigan St vs. No. 14 North Dakota St, 4:05 p.m. (East). By Jonah Bronstein. No. 1 Michigan vs. 16 Howard/UMBC, 7:10 p.m. (Midwest). By John Wawrow. No. 9 Saint Louis vs. No. 8 Georgia, 9:45 p.m. (Midwest). By Jonah Bronstein.

Portland, Ore.: No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point, 1:50 p.m. (West). By Anne M. Peterson No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawaii, 4:25 p.m. (West). By Erik Gundersen. No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas/NC State, 7:25 p.m. (West). By Erik Gundersen. No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State, 10 p.m. (West). By Anne M. Peterson

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BKL--WNBA-CBA

DESCRIPTION: NEW YORK __ As the new WNBA collective bargaining agreement is being written, details are starting to come out about what has been negotiated. By Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg.

UPCOMING: By 03/19/2026 6:00 p.m. EDT, Text

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MLB DIVISION PREVIEWS

DESCRIPTION: Previews for all six MLB divisions, slugged as follows: BBO--AL East Preview BBO--NL East Preview BBO--AL Central Preview BBO--NL Central Preview BBO--AL West Preview BBO--NL West Preview

UPCOMING: By 03/19/2026 6:00 p.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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BBW--WPBL-OUTLOOK

DESCRIPTION: Women’s Pro Baseball League co-owner Justine Siegal discusses final planning ahead of an exhibition game at JetBlue Park. The league plans to launch this summer. By Alanis Thames. 500 words, photo.

UPCOMING: By 03/19/2026 6:00 p.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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SOC--EUROPEAN ROUNDUP

DESCRIPTION: The round of 16 of the Europa and Conference Leagues, the 2nd leg

UPCOMING: By 03/19/2026 6:15 p.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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BBO--GIANTS-VITELLO-THE VOYAGE

DESCRIPTION: All eyes are on Tony Vitello as he makes the big jump from coaching the University of Tennessee to major league manager for the San Francisco Giants despite no previous professional experience as a player or coach. And everybody will be watching his high-profile managerial debut when the Giants host the New York Yankees in baseball’s season opener March 25. By Janie McCauley. 900 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 03/19/2026 7:00 p.m. EDT, Text

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GLF--VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP

DESCRIPTION: PALM HARBOR, Fla. -- Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka and Jacob Bridgeman are part of a strong field at Innisbrook for the Valspar Championship, the final stop on the PGA Tour’s Florida swing. Upcoming: 600 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 03/19/2026 8:00 p.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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BKN--LAKERS-HEAT

DESCRIPTION: If LeBron James plays Thursday when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Miami Heat, he’ll tie Robert Parish for the most games in NBA history. Parish played in 1,611. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. 300 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 03/19/2026 8:10 p.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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GLF--LPGA TOUR

DESCRIPTION: MENLO PARK, Calif. -- Jeeno Thitikul leads eight of the top 10 players in the world at the Fortinet Founders Cup as the LPGA Tour returns to U.S. to start a stretch leading to the first major. Upcoming: 500 words.

UPCOMING: By 03/19/2026 10:00 p.m. EDT, Text

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NEW AND DEVELOPING

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BKN--LAKERS-JAMES-GAMES PLAYED

Lakers’ LeBron James is questionable against Heat as he approaches NBA record for games played

SUMMARY: LeBron James has been listed as questionable for the Los Angeles Lakers’ game in Miami, meaning Robert Parish might keep outright possession of the NBA’s all-time games played record for a couple more days. The Lakers said James is dealing with left foot arthritis. Also questionable for the game on Thursday are Luka Doncic with right hip soreness and Austin Reaves with a right forearm contusion. James went 13 of 14 from the field in the Lakers’ win on Wednesday, tying the best shooting performance of his NBA career. It was the 1,610th regular season game of his career, one behind Parish’s mark.

WORDS: 425 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 1:38 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:124095ab500cbc4c439de6808bbbbd43&mediaType=text

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BKN--PISTONS-CUNNINGHAM HURT

Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has collapsed lung, will be evaluated in 2 weeks

SUMMARY: All-Star guard Cade Cunningham of the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons has a collapsed lung and is expected to miss at least two weeks and possibly more. The team announced the diagnosis Thursday. The Pistons listed Cunningham as out for Thursday’s game in Washington with a left back contusion. Cunningham got hurt in Tuesday’s win over Washington, leaving midway through the opening quarter with what the team called back spasms. Cunningham is averaging 24.5 points and 9.9 assists for the Pistons. Detroit entered Thursday 3 1/2 games ahead of Boston for the top spot in the East with 14 games remaining.

WORDS: 295 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 12:45 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b3902c010af974a3a9f0693fc33f52a7&mediaType=text

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BBO--MLB-POLYMARKET

MLB partners with Polymarket, makes integrity pact with federal commission on prediction markets

SUMMARY: Major League Baseball is entering an official partnership with Polymarket and has an agreement with the federal commission overseeing prediction markets to collaborate on integrity concerns. MLB said in a statement it has a memorandum of understanding with Michael S. Selig, the chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, to “further protect the integrity of baseball by ensuring swift response to incidents and anticipating emerging trends more strongly.” Prediction markets have raised concerns from sports leagues already working to combat issues around legal sports gambling.

WORDS: 505 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 12:03 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:79965008b559ea3c00940ea6e92dd509&mediaType=text

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BKN--NBA-PLAY-IN CHASE

The Warriors know they’re headed back to the play-in tournament; other teams might think the same

SUMMARY: Golden State coach Steve Kerr can do the math. He knows the Warriors are headed to the play-in tournament. The Warriors have 13 games left in the regular season and their loss in Boston on Wednesday night left them 8 1/2 games out of sixth place and the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Western Conference. That said, they’re also 8 1/2 games ahead of 11th place. So, while it’s still mathematically possible that the Warriors end up outside of play-in tournament range, Kerr knows that won’t be the reality.

WORDS: 865 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 10:19 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:1270261e3460d5e124587af94ba3780c&mediaType=text

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US--ICE RINK SHOOTING-CHAMPIONSHIP

Rhode Island high school hockey team rallies to championship after fatal ice rink shooting

SUMMARY: Colin Dorgan has helped lead his high school hockey team to a Rhode Island state championship after losing his mother, brother, and grandfather last month in a shooting at an ice rink. The Division 2 title game was played Wednesday. Coach Chris Librizzi says the team participated in counseling as players considered whether they could come back and finish the season. Ultimately every player did, including Dorgan. Police have identified the shooter as Robert Dorgan, who died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Blackstone Valley players have hearts stitched on the front of their jerseys with the initials of the three who died.

WORDS: 842 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 8:04 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:1b6e07ab8c7a27e546b778ebec8eb1bc&mediaType=text

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SOC--WOMEN’S ASIAN CUP

North Korea qualifies for the Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2011

SUMMARY: North Korea has qualified for the Women’s World Cup again after a long absence following a doping scandal in 2011. North Korea beat Taiwan 4-0 in Women’s Asian Cup playoffs on the Gold Coast led by a Hong Song Ok hat trick. Philippines also secured a place at Brazil next year with a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan on Thursday. There were six guaranteed World Cup spots on offer at the continental championship. Australia, Japan, China and South Korea assured places as quarterfinal winners. The quarterfinal losers went into playoffs for the fifth and sixth spots. The Asian Cup ends on Saturday with the final between Australia and Japan.

WORDS: 628 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 7:50 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d435e3d52e778af357adba8300569465&mediaType=text

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SOC--WCUP PLAYOFFS-ITALY

Is soccer no longer Italy’s best sport? The Azzurri face World Cup playoff amid others’ success

SUMMARY: Italy is coming off a record performance at the Winter Olympics. Kimi Antonelli just became the second youngest driver to win a Formula One race and at 19 is considered The Next Big Thing in auto racing. The Azzurri rugby squad beat England for the first time in the Six Nations. Jannik Sinner is back to winning ways on the tennis court. Even the country’s unheralded baseball and cricket teams have broken barriers recently. Yet there’s one big team from Italy that continues to struggle. The once-dominant men’s soccer team is at risk of failing to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. The four-time World Cup champion needs to beat Northern Ireland in the playoffs next Thursday and then either Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina to qualify.

WORDS: 855 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 6:26 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:10244c31f6073bbe3578cb4d16431d84&mediaType=text

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BKC--NCAA-FINDING CINDERELLA

Top seeds are big favorites to start March Madness. It could be tricky for fans to spot an upstart

SUMMARY: The top seeds in the NCAA Tournament are generally heavy favorites in their first-round games. That could make it difficult for fans to spot an upstart ready to pull an upset. March Madness is coming off a year in which all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four for only the second time since seeding began in 1979.

WORDS: 930 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 6:00 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:3b32dc3c7b6dfd9f94952b9ab6731f8a&mediaType=text

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LT--VENEZUELA-POSTCARD FROM CARACAS

A baseball title unleashes the happiness Venezuelans kept bottled up for years

SUMMARY: Venezuelans pour into the streets in a rare, loud release of joy after their team wins the World Baseball Classic. On Wednesday, people across Caracas cry, dance, hug, and bang pots as the win sinks in. Venezuela beats the United States 3–2 in Miami. Many say the moment feels pure because nothing can be argued away. The celebration also breaks through years of fear and silence. Venezuelans have faced harsh repression and economic pain, and many avoid public emotion. Acting president Delcy Rodríguez declares a National Day of Joy. Venezuelans abroad celebrate too.

WORDS: 731 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 4:07 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:0c9d2879774e59c495dc185d67bf9ad1&mediaType=text

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BKC--NCAA-SMU-MIAMI (OHIO)

Miami (Ohio) makes a March Madness statement with an 89-79 win over SMU in the First Four

SUMMARY: Eian Elmer scored 23 points and Miami of Ohio beat SMU 89-79 in the First Four for its first NCAA Tournament victory in 27 years. Elmer went 6 of 9 from 3-point range as the 11th-seeded RedHawks, who were unbeaten during the regular season, advanced in the Midwest Region to play No. 6 seed Tennessee. Brant Byers added 19 points, including four 3s, and Luke Skaljac had 17 points for Miami, which is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007. The RedHawks finished 16 of 41 from 3-point distance. Jaden Toombs led SMU with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Jaron Pierre Jr. scored 18 points and Boopie Miller had 15 for the Mustangs, who haven’t won an NCAA Tournament game since 1988.

WORDS: 803 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 3:20 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:f550c65d871d7c6c83101ab436e46a79&mediaType=text

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MOVING TOMORROW ___

—March Madness

—BBO--Season Preview