AP Sports Digest
The highlights of Wednesday's AP Sports report. An up-to-the minute listing of all stories planned, including games and events, is available in Coverage Plan on AP Newsroom, https://newsroom.ap.org/coverageplan. You can also find a link to Coverage Plan on the left navigation of the Newsroom home page, https://newsroom.ap.org. Sports content can be found at http://newsroom.ap.org/page/APSports
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ADVISORIES
Full AP coverage of the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments can be found here: https://newsroom.ap.org/page/MarchMadness
Here is what AP is planning for MLB season preview coverage ahead of opening day. For questions, please email Jake Seiner ( jseiner@ap.org ) https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/pronto/fab1a162577acc324743447c35eacb12
AUDIO HEADLINES
The Lakers stop the Bucks without LeBron, the Rangers become the first NHL team to clinch a playoff spot while the Predators have now gone 18 straight without a regulation loss, the NFL is returning kick returns to action next season, and the last big name free agent signs with a new team on the eve of the baseball season. https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/Thelatestinsports/fb190988613245f9b8c30b41d374d6e0
Utah coach says team was shaken after experiencing racist hate during NCAA Tournament https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/UtahcoachsaysteamwasshakenafterexperiencingracisthateduringNCAATournament/47da7179c2a14489ab7c4ab26d71548a
The connection to Boston College lured Bill O’Brien back to college football https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/TheconnectiontoBostonCollegeluredBillOBrienbacktocollegefootball/55cb622d54884b3897266c46e3878001
Convicted sex offender who hacked jumbotron at the Jacksonville Jaguars’ stadium gets 220 years https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/ConvictedsexoffenderwhohackedjumbotronattheJacksonvilleJaguarsstadiumgets220years/8384ba646bf94759af738b9050229bd7
All times EDT
TOP STORIES
BKC--NCAA-NUMBERS TO KNOW
Breaking down one noteworthy statistic for each of the 16 teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament. By Steve Megargee. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
BKC--NCAA-PROP BETS
NCAA President Charlie Baker is urging lawmakers in states with legal wagering on sporting events to ban betting on individual player performances. Prop bets allow gamblers to wager on statistics a player will accumulate during a game. By College Sports Writer Ralph D. Russo. SENT: 760 words, photos.
BKO--NCAA-THE ART OF THE HANDSHAKE
The pregame handshake can be intricate or simple. Stolen off TikTok or organic. The brief moments of self-expression between two teammates before tip-off are also a small but vibrant piece of college basketball culture. “It’s kind of that amp. Let’s get you hyped for a second then it’s time to get into it.” By Will Graves. SENT: 1,040 words, photos.
BKC--NCAA-EAST PREVIEW
BOSTON — No. 1 overall seed UConn has looked unbeatable so far in its bid to become the first school to repeat as NCAA Tournament champion since 2007. Its next hurdle in the Sweet 16 is a title game rematch with fifth-seeded San Diego State. The other regional semifinal features a matchup between a second-seeded Iowa State team that has the best defensive rating against No. 3 seed Illinois, which boasts the top offensive rating of remaining teams. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 7 p.m.
BKC--NCAA-WEST PREVIEW
LOS ANGELES — Second-seeded Arizona makes the quick trip over to Los Angeles for the NCAA West Regional, where top-seeded North Carolina, No. 4 Alabama and No. 6 Clemson arrive from the East. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 7 p.m.
BKW--NCAA-SOUTH CAROLINA-PAOPAO'S RISE
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina was a team last summer high on talent, but low on experience. Te-Hina Paopao brought the Gamecocks both during in a year that's just four victories away from a perfect championship season. By Pete Iacobelli. UPCOMING: 650 words by 4 p.m.
BKW--NCAA SITE-EXPLAINER
Why does the NCAA play its first two rounds on home campus and will that ever change? By Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg. UPCOMING: 600 words by 4 p.m.
BKW--NCAA-TEXAS-MISSING HARMON
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Longhorns lost standout point guard Rori Harmon to a knee injury in December. Instead of slinking into the shadows of a long recovery for next season, Harmon has been team cheerleader, unofficial assistant coach and invaluable mentor for freshman Madison Booker, who took over the offense in her place and has the No. 1 seed Longhorns roaring into the Sweet 16. By Jim Vertuno. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 3 p.m.
BBO--LEADING OFF
After the Dodgers and Padres soft-launched the 2024 MLB season with a two-game series in Seoul, South Korea, last week, the league's other 28 teams are set to begin the season Thursday. All eyes remain on Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who will make his home debut with Los Angeles amid investigations into his fired interpreter. SENT: 745 words, photos.
BBN--DODGERS-OHTANI EXPLAINER
LOS ANGELES — Only a week has passed since the Los Angeles Dodgers abruptly fired Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter and constant companion of their new $700 million slugger, Shohei Ohtani. But the shocking events have been the biggest story of baseball’s spring, and the saga doesn’t appear over as the regular season begins in earnest. By Greg Beacham. SENT: 700 words.
BBA--ORIOLES-SALE
David Rubenstein’s purchase of the Baltimore Orioles has been approved by Major League Baseball owners. That clears the way for the Angelos family to finalize the sale after over three decades running the team. Approval of 75% of all owners was required, and MLB said the vote was unanimous. It came the day before the team is scheduled to open the season at home against the Los Angeles Angels. By Baseball Writer Noah Trister. SENT: 570 words, photos.
NOTABLE
BBO--FREE AGENTS TO WATCH
Baseball’s next free agency class won’t have a two-way star like Shohei Ohtani, and almost certainly no deals like his record-shattering $700 million over 10 years to switch teams in Los Angeles this year. But there could still be All-Star sluggers and Cy Young Award winners available next offseason. By Baseball Writer Stephen Hawkins. SENT: 925 words, photos.
WITH:
— BBN--PADRES-TATIS. By Bernie Wilson. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos by 4 p.m.
— BBO--NEW MANAGERS. By Kristie Rieken. SENT: 915 words, photos.
— BBO--TOP PROSPECTS-TURNING THEM LOOSE. By Baseball Writer Noah Trister. SENT: 1,015 words, photos.
GLF--HOUSTON OPEN PREVIEW
Peter Malnati is a PGA Tour winner and gets to tee it up with big names at the Houston Open. He is in the same group with Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player who is going for this third consecutive victory. But a big part of Malnati is representing the little guy. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 3 p.m.
HKN--EAST PLAYOFF RACE
The playoff race in the NHL’s Eastern Conference is realistically down to three teams, with the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings vying for two spots. How did they get here, and what would it mean for those teams if they made it? By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. SENT: 985 words, photos.
SOC--EURO 2024-STATE OF PLAY
LONDON — The 24-team lineup for the European Championship is complete after Poland, Ukraine and Georgia became the final teams to qualify for the tournament in Germany. France and England look to be the strongest teams heading to the tournament while Cristiano Ronaldo and his talented Portugal teammates will be another big threat. SENT: 1,115 words, photos.
OLY--PARIS 2024-HISTORICAL EXHIBIT
PARIS — An exhibit ahead of this year’s Paris Games shows how the Olympics have been a “mirror of society” since the beginning of the 20th century. Historian Paul Dietschy is one of the curators. He told The Associated Press that “this exhibit tries to show ... this relationship between ideology, power and the Olympic Games.” The exhibit at the Shoah Memorial in central Paris features photos, documents and Olympic items and film archives from the past century. By Sylvie Corbet. SENT: 680 words, photos.
Wednesday’s EDT Time Schedule
NBA
Brooklyn at Washington, 7 p.m.
Cleveland at Charlotte, 7 p.m.
Golden State at Orlando, 7 p.m.
LA Clippers at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
New York at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
Portland at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
Detroit at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Houston at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.
Indiana at Chicago, 8 p.m.
LA Lakers at Memphis, 8 p.m.
San Antonio at Utah, 9 p.m.
Phoenix at Denver, 10 p.m.
NHL
Ottawa at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Boston at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
