Here are the AP’s top sports stories that have moved or are planned to move today. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan. Sports content can be found at http://newsroom.ap.org/page/APSports.

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UPCOMING

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BKN--NBA-PLAYOFF CHASE-GUIDE

DESCRIPTION: A daily look at the NBA’s playoff chase.

UPCOMING: By 03/30/2026 10:00 a.m. EDT, Text

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BBO--SPORTS-REPLAY-LANGUAGE

DESCRIPTION: Major League Baseball’s ABS head tap is the latest entry in the fast-growing sign language lexicon of sports. By Baseball Writer David Brandt.

UPCOMING: By 03/30/2026 11:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Text, Alternate Headlines

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BKW--MARCH MADNESS

DESCRIPTION: Text coverage of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament: Games (tipoff times Eastern, text and photos planned): Fort Worth, Texas: 2 Michigan vs. 1 Texas, 7 p.m. By Stephen Hawkins. Sacramento, Calif.: 3 TCU vs. 1 South Carolina, 9 p.m. By Doug Feinberg.

UPCOMING: By 03/30/2026 9:00 p.m. EDT, Photo, Text, DigitalPlans

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BKC--MARCH MADNESS

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

BKC--NCAA-Things To Know

Arizona, Michigan and Duke had looked like a clear top tier in college basketball as conference play began. Yet only the Wildcats and Wolverines have reached the sport’s biggest stage, joined by UConn and Illinois at the Final Four. By Aaron Beard. 800 words, photos by 6 a.m. ET.

BKC--NCAA-Arizona-Peat

Koa Peat has been a winner throughout his basketball career. He won four state titles in high school in Arizona and became the first player to win four international gold medals at the junior level. So when Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd was trying to entice Peat to play for the Wildcats, he pitched him on helping the school end a 25-year Final Four drought. By Josh Dubow. 600 words, photos by 1 p.m. PDT

BKC--NCAA-Championship Data

A look at the key data points emerging from the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament and heading into the Final Four. By Aaron Beard. 800 words, photos by 3 p.m.

BKC—NCAA-Michigan Advances

CHICAGO — Michigan coach Dusty May remembers watching Rumeal Robinson and the Wolverines win the national championship in 1989. He also remembers the cultural effect of the Fab Five on college basketball. Now he is looking to make his own history at the school, taking a new generation of high-scoring Wolverines to the Final Four. By Jay Cohen. Text, photos.

UPCOMING: By 03/30/2026 5:00 p.m. EDT, Photo, Text, DigitalPlans

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HKN--GOLDEN KNIGHTS-TORTORELLA

DESCRIPTION: Vegas Golden Knights coach John Tortorella and general manager Kelly McCrimmon meet with the media for the first time since Tortorella was hired as the coach on Sunday.

UPCOMING: By 03/30/2026 3:00 p.m. EDT, Text

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NEW AND DEVELOPING

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BKC--ST JOHN’S-PITINO

St. John’s athletic director says coach Rick Pitino has signed new deal with contract extension

SUMMARY: St. John’s says Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Pitino has signed a new agreement that will keep him under contract with the school through the end of this decade. Pitino was hired in March 2023 and given a six-year contract through 2029. Several outlets, citing anonymous sources, reported Sunday his restructured deal includes an additional year through the 2029-30 season and a raise that will make him the second-highest paid coach in the Big East behind Dan Hurley at UConn. In three seasons with the Red Storm, the 73-year-old Pitino has led a remarkable resurgence, coaching the Johnnies to consecutive Big East regular-season and tournament championships. St. John’s reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament this year for the first time since 1999.

WORDS: 307 - MOVED: 03/30/2026 1:42 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:84e0a799f0e793356b9c493f4f22baa6&mediaType=text

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BBO--MARINERS-HANCOCK

Mariners pitcher Emerson Hancock tosses 6 no-hit innings in 8-0 win over Guardians

SUMMARY: Emerson Hancock pitched six hitless innings for the Seattle Mariners in his season debut against the Cleveland Guardians before being removed from the game by manager Dan Wilson. Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter lined a clean single leading off the seventh against reliever Cooper Criswell to break up Seattle’s bid for a combined no-hitter. The only baserunners Hancock allowed came when he walked José Ramírez in the first inning and hit CJ Kayfus with a fastball in the sixth. The sixth overall pick in the 2020 amateur draft needed 97 pitches to get through six scoreless innings on a chilly late afternoon in the Pacific Northwest. Hancock set a career high with nine strikeouts. No batted ball against him left the infield.

WORDS: 724 - MOVED: 03/30/2026 12:00 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d73e8c6300ee61f6be9212ee4e536e72&mediaType=text

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BBO--WHITE SOX-MURAKAMI

White Sox’s Murakami joins Guardians’ DeLauter in exclusive club with HRs in first 3 MLB games

SUMMARY: Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox and Chase DeLauter of the Cleveland Guardians have accomplished something in the last week that had been done only twice before. The two rookies homered in each of their first three major league games. Sportradar says the only other players to hit home runs in at least their first three Major League Baseball games were Trevor Story with the Colorado Rockies in 2016 and Kyle Lewis with the Seattle Mariners in 2019. Story owns the MLB record with homers in his first four career games.

WORDS: 761 - MOVED: 03/29/2026 10:35 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:66b2234ddaad8d6320a4b1dc1b2c2d63&mediaType=text

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BKC--FINAL FOUR

The Final Four is set as UConn stuns Duke to join Illinois, Arizona and Michigan

SUMMARY: The Final Four is set. Illinois will face UConn and Michigan will take on Arizona next Saturday, with the winners squaring off two nights later for the national title. The Arizona-Michigan game is a matchup of top seeds. UConn, after a 19-point comeback for a 73-72 win over Duke, is seeded second and will play No. 3 seed Illinois. Arizona is the early favorite to take the title next Monday night in Indianapolis, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, followed closely by Michigan. The Huskies beat Duke with a 3-pointer from the logo with 0.4 seconds left by Braylon Mullins, who grew up just outside of Indianapolis.

WORDS: 1000 - MOVED: 03/29/2026 10:02 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b146dc719122508a18bc7a6be808790c&mediaType=text

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BKC--NCAA-UCONN-DUKE

Mullins Madness! Freshman’s 35-footer gives UConn a 73-72 win over Duke and a Final Four spot

SUMMARY: Braylon Mullins sank a desperation 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to give UConn an astonishing 73-72 victory over top-seeded Duke, earning the Huskies a spot in the Final Four after they rallied from a 19-point first-half deficit. The Blue Devils led by three before UConn’s Silas Demary Jr. made one of two free throws with 10 seconds left. With Duke playing keep-away to prevent the Huskies from fouling, Cayden Boozer’s pass near midcourt was deflected, and after UConn came up with the ball, Mullins made a shot from well behind the 3-point line. It’s the second straight season to end in a huge collapse for Duke, which was the top overall seed in this year’s tournament.

WORDS: 999 - MOVED: 03/29/2026 9:40 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:90d41d5db61e46658ffb6465b2681c64&mediaType=text

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TEN--MIAMI OPEN

Sinner follows Sabalenka’s lead with a ‘Sunshine Double,’ beating Lehecka in Miami Open final

SUMMARY: Jannik Sinner rolled to a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jiri Lehecka to capture the Miami Open title and complete the “Sunshine Double’’ a day after Aryna Sabalenka accomplished the same feat in a win over Coco Gauff. The last male player to complete the double — winning Indian Wells followed by Miami in the same season — was Roger Federer in 2017. Sinner became the first male to do so without dropping a set in either tournament on Sunday. The second-seeded Sinner didn’t let either of the two 90-minute rain delays slow him. He notched 10 aces in the final, and 70 in the tournament.

WORDS: 410 - MOVED: 03/29/2026 9:14 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:485a9f1e17fe82601e7197cbe3d52c36&mediaType=text

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GLF--HOUSTON OPEN

Gary Woodland wins the Houston Open for first PGA Tour title since brain surgery

SUMMARY: Gary Woodland is a winner again just 30 months after brain surgery. Woodland produced a moment as big as his U.S. Open title at Pebble Beach when he won the Houston Open. He led by as many as seven shots and shot 67 to win by four. Woodland had surgery in September 2023 to remove a lesion on a part of the brain that caused unfounded fears of dying. And then two weeks ago he chose to go public with his harrowing struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder in an emotional Golf Channel interview. The win gets him in the Masters.

WORDS: 1010 - MOVED: 03/29/2026 9:09 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:6b897113caf231a2b8dd6c285951ca50&mediaType=text

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CAR--NASCAR-MARTINSVILLE

Chase Elliott beats Denny Hamlin at Martinsville Speedway for 1st NASCAR win of season

SUMMARY: Chase Elliott has outdueled Denny Hamlin at Martinsville Speedway to earn his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season. Elliott capitalized on a shrewd gamble by crew chief Alan Gustafson to pit the No. 9 Chevrolet earlier than the other contenders. When the caution flew on the 312th lap on Sunday, Elliott was in the lead and pitted with the rest of the lead-lap drivers aside from Ross Chastain. Elliott took first from Chastain after a restart and led the final 69 laps to win by 0.565 seconds over Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota. Joey Logano finished third, followed by Ty Gibbs and William Byron.

WORDS: 1001 - MOVED: 03/29/2026 8:33 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:da4e7412cdbe79a570e17593d9eff2b9&mediaType=text

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BKC--NCAA-TENNESSEE-MICHIGAN

Yaxel Lendeborg and deep, unselfish Michigan roll into the Final Four, beating Tennessee 95-62

SUMMARY: Yaxel Lendeborg scored 27 points, Elliot Cadeau had 10 assists and Michigan rolled into the Final Four by overwhelming Tennessee for a 95-62 victory in the NCAA Tournament. Morez Johnson Jr. added 12 points as top-seeded Michigan posted its 11th victory this season by at least 30 points. Aday Mara had 11 points and blocked two shots in the Midwest Region final. Making the most of its size and athleticism on both sides of the court, Michigan advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 2018 and ninth time overall. Next up is a national semifinal against Arizona on Saturday.

WORDS: 853 - MOVED: 03/29/2026 7:15 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:85942f3b9000824260e843320005d303&mediaType=text

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BKW--NCAA-DUKE-UCLA

Lauren Betts and UCLA are Final Four-bound after rallying past Duke with a strong second half

SUMMARY: Lauren Betts had 23 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks to help UCLA rally from a rare halftime deficit and beat Duke 70-58, advancing to the women’s Final Four for the second straight season. The top-seeded Bruins will play either Texas or Michigan in Phoenix on Friday in the national semifinals. UCLA is two wins away from the program’s first NCAA title. Third-seeded Duke tested UCLA like few teams had done this season. Taina Mair scored 21 points to lead Duke, which also lost in a regional final last year.

WORDS: 793 - MOVED: 03/29/2026 7:04 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:0867e151af0c5cce9703f21b65838b31&mediaType=text

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HKN--GOLDEN KNIGHTS-CASSIDY FIRED

Golden Knights fire Bruce Cassidy, replace him with John Tortorella

SUMMARY: Bruce Cassidy is out as coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, who fired him Sunday and replaced him with John Tortorella. General manager Kelly McCrimmon announced the move a day after the team lost three in a row and six of its past seven games. Tortorella joins Vegas for his 24th NHL season as a head coach. He was not in the league this year and was an assistant for the U.S. at the Milan Cortina Olympics when it won gold. He coached Tampa Bay to the Stanley Cup in 2004. Cassidy led the Golden Knights to the Cup in 2023 and was fired less than three years later.

WORDS: 790 - MOVED: 03/29/2026 6:21 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:3f99f8e2f01391b56f82c95b8f4f96ee&mediaType=text

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BBO--RANGERS-FANTASTIC FIRSTS

Gore wins 1st start, Nimmo and McCutchen hit 1st homers for Rangers in blowout of Phillies

SUMMARY: Andrew McCutchen and Brandon Nimmo each hit their first home runs with the Texas Rangers. MacKenzie Gore won his first start with Texas. The trio of new faces expected to lead the Rangers back to the postseason helped them take two of three games in the opening series against the NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies. Gore fanned two-time NL MVP Bryce Harper with the bases loaded in an 8-3 win over the Phillies on Sunday.

WORDS: 929 - MOVED: 03/29/2026 5:58 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:fc6bfc01d2f932bdca6f0243f21ad3fa&mediaType=text

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BKW--NCAA-NOTRE DAME-UCONN

UConn and Geno Auriemma beat Notre Dame 70-52 to secure 25th women’s Final Four appearance

SUMMARY: Geno Auriemma and defending national champion UConn are going to their 25th Final Four in the women’s NCAA Tournament. All-America forward Sarah Strong scored 21 points and Blanca Quiñonez added 20 for the 38-0 Huskies in a 70-52 win over Notre Dame on Sunday in the Fort Worth Regional 1 final. UConn has won 54 games in a row, and is going for its 13th national championship. Azzi Fudd, UConn’s other first-team AP All-America pick, had 13 points. Hannah Hidalgo had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the 25-11 Fighting Irish.

WORDS: 851 - MOVED: 03/29/2026 5:24 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:bffaa305a00db369c8b890436485ec6b&mediaType=text

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SOC--TOTTENHAM-COACH

Tudor era ends at Tottenham after just 7 matches ahead of fight for Premier League survival

SUMMARY: Igor Tudor has left his role as Tottenham interim coach after seven matches and 44 days in charge. A club statement read: “We can confirm that it has been mutually agreed for head coach Igor Tudor to leave the club with immediate effect.” Tottenham thanked Tudor for his work and said “An update on a new head coach will be provided in due course.” Tudor’s exit leaves Spurs without a head coach heading into the final seven games of the Premier League season, with the London club just one place and one point above the relegation zone. Their next match is at Sunderland on April 12.

WORDS: 796 - MOVED: 03/29/2026 4:41 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:da65acc41c67462119b176d2104f12dc&mediaType=text