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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BKW--MARCH MADNESS
DESCRIPTION: Text coverage of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. Previews/features:
BKW--NCAA-Fort Worth Preview FORT WORTH, Texas — No. 1 seed Texas takes on SEC foe Kentucky in an NCAA Sweet 16 game. The Longhorns won their regular-season matchup on Feb. 9, then lost their next game to Sweet 16 team Vanderbilt before winning their 10 games since. Louisville plays Michigan in the other game at Dickies Arena on Saturday. By Stephen Hawkins. Games (tipoff times Eastern, NCAA seeds listed. Text, photos planned for each): Fort Worth, Texas: 6 Notre Dame vs. 2 Vanderbilt, 2:30 p.m. By Schuyler Dixon. 4 North Carolina vs. 1 UConn, 5 p.m. By Stephen Hawkins. Sacramento, Calif: 4 Minnesota vs. 1 UCLA, 7:30 p.m. 3 Duke vs. 2 LSU, 10 p.m.
UPCOMING: By 03/27/2026 2:00 p.m. EDT, Text, DigitalPlans, Photo
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BKC--MARCH MADNESS
DESCRIPTION: Text coverage of the men’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Previews/features:
BKC-NCAA--Iowa-Illinois-Preview After dispatching one Big Ten foe by downing Nebraska Thursday night, ninth-seeded Iowa has another conference rival sitting between it and a Final Four berth in Saturday’s matchup with No. 3 seed Illinois. By Kristie Rieken. Iowa-Illinois sidebar, Kristie Rieken.
BKC--NCAA-Purdue-Arizona Preview Purdue has made it’s run to the Elite Eight thanks to a senior-laden group that includes three key players who are the rare trip to spend four years together in college. All that stands between the Boilermakers and the Final Four is a top-seeded Arizona team that is led by an outstanding trio of freshmen. By Josh Dubow. 750 words, by 5 p.m. PT With sidebar Games (tipoff times Eastern, NCAA seeds listed. Sidebars on merit): Washington D.C.: 5 St. John’s vs. 1 Duke, 7:10 p.m. 3 Michigan State vs. 2 UConn, 9:45 p.m. Chicago: 4 Alabama vs. 1 Michigan, 7:35 p.m. By Jay Cohen 6 Tennessee vs. 2 Iowa State, 10:10 p.m. By Andrew Seligman
UPCOMING: By 03/27/2026 2:00 p.m. EDT, Text, DigitalPlans, Photo
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HKN--PREDATORS-REVIVAL
DESCRIPTION: The Nashville Predators never doubted they could be a playoff team. Proving it took far longer than expected. A franchise that ranked dead last in the NHL standings as late as Dec. 8 goes into the final 10 games sitting in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. By Teresa M. Walker.
UPCOMING: By 03/27/2026 7:00 a.m. EDT, Text, Photo
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TEN--MIAMI-OPEN
DESCRIPTION: Coverage of the Miami Open men’s semifinals. By Marc Berman. Matches begin 1 p.m.
UPCOMING: By 03/27/2026 1:00 p.m. EDT, Text
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HKW--PWHL-FRANKEL
DESCRIPTION: Aerin Frankel has a passion for ceasar salad and a knack for stopping pucks, which has led her to win Olympic gold, set a PWHL record for single-season shutouts, and earn the Boston Fleet goalie the nickname Green Monster. By Hockey Writer John Wawrow. 650 words, photos.
UPCOMING: By 03/27/2026 5:00 p.m. EDT, Text
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FIG--WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
DESCRIPTION: Amber Glenn and Kaori Sakamoto bid for the women’s world figure skating championship title in the free skate. The ice dance event begins with the rhythm dance.
UPCOMING: By 03/27/2026 6:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo
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GLF--HOUSTON OPEN
DESCRIPTION: HOUSTON -- Paul Waring of England had a one-shot lead over Gary Woodland going into the second round of the Houston Open. Upcoming: 600 words, photos
UPCOMING: By 03/27/2026 8:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo
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GLF--LPGA TOUR
DESCRIPTION: PHOENIX -- Lydia Ko opened with a 60 and has a one-shot lead over defending champion Hyo Joo Kim in the second round of the Ford Championship. Upcoming: 500 words,photos.
UPCOMING: By 03/27/2026 10:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo
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NEW AND DEVELOPING
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BKC--NCAA-ILLINOIS-HOUSTON
Illinois clamps down on Houston for a 65-55 March Madness win to reach Elite Eight
SUMMARY: David Mirkovic had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and third-seeded Illinois flexed its defensive muscles to eliminate last year’s national runner-up from the NCAA Tournament, beating Houston 65-55 in the South Region semifinals. Next up is a meeting Saturday with ninth-seeded Iowa to see which Big Ten team will advance to the Final Four. It will be the 11th Elite Eight appearance for Illinois and its second in three seasons under Brad Underwood. The second-seeded Cougars were thrilled to be playing a game just over two miles from their campus. But their poor shooting gave Houston fans little to cheer about
WORDS: 427 - MOVED: 03/27/2026 12:38 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:1f98b156ea4040ff359eb760b5ced678&mediaType=text
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BKC--NCAA-TEXAS-PURDUE
Kaufman-Renn tips in game-winner to send No. 2 seed Purdue past 11th-seeded Texas 79-77 in Sweet 16
SUMMARY: Trey Kaufman-Renn tipped in a miss by Braden Smith with 0.7 seconds left, and No. 2 Purdue edged hobbling Texas star Tramon Mark and the 11th-seeded Longhorns 79-77 on Thursday night in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Texas (21-15) tied it moments earlier when Dailyn Swain made a driving layup, was fouled and converted the three-point play with 11.9 seconds to go. Smith had scored on his own drive with 38 seconds remaining and finished with 16 points. Kaufman-Renn hit his first seven shots on the way to 20 points. He was mobbed by teammates right after the final buzzer sounded at SAP Center.
WORDS: 794 - MOVED: 03/27/2026 12:34 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d283a24c0164ec277f4743ba5b3e2720&mediaType=text
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BKC--NCAA-IOWA-NEBRASKA
Ninth-seeded Iowa continues improbable March run, beating Nebraska 77-71 to reach Elite Eight
SUMMARY: Alvaro Folgueiras converted a critical three-point play when Nebraska only had four defenders on the floor, and ninth-seeded Iowa continued its unpredictable NCAA Tournament run under first-year coach Ben McCollum, beating Nebraska 77-71 in a South Region semifinal. Bennett Stirtz scored 20 points and Folgueiras had 16 for the Hawkeyes, who knocked off top-seeded Florida in the second round and will face Big Ten rival Illinois on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four. McCollum, who won four Division II national titles at Northwest Missouri State, has now led Iowa to its fifth Elite Eight and first since 1987.
WORDS: 799 - MOVED: 03/27/2026 12:21 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:94c5c63fec9c3078e9efde7e1d539f29&mediaType=text
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BKC--NCAA-IOWA-NEBRASKA-CRITICAL PLAY
Nebraska’s Fred Hoiberg takes blame for having 4 players on floor, leading to critical Iowa bucket
SUMMARY: On the most critical play of Nebraska’s Sweet 16 loss to rival Iowa, the Cornhuskers had only four players on the floor. Cornhuskers coach Fred Hoiberg has taken the blame, calling it a miscommunication. Alvaro Folgueiras got free after Nebraska made a 3-pointer in the final minute. Folgueiras slammed it home and was fouled, giving Iowa a six-point lead. The Hawkeyes went on to beat their Big Ten rivals 77-71. Iowa coach Ben McCollum was baffled by what happened on the play.
WORDS: 465 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 11:37 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:5b1db10ab71ffd8fa178a692c67315a5&mediaType=text
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BKC--NCAA-DRAFTKINGS LAWSUIT
Federal judge denies NCAA’s restraining order request to make DraftKings stop using ‘March Madness’
SUMMARY: A federal judge on Thursday denied the NCAA’s motion for a temporary restraining order to stop DraftKings from using registered trademarks associated with its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. The complaint for trademark infringement was filed in the Southern District of Indiana last week. The NCAA requested that DraftKings stop using March Madness, Final Four, Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen and variations of those terms to promote its business. Judge Tanya Walton Pratt ruled the NCAA did not show how the online sports wagering platform’s use of the terms would cause irreparable harm.
WORDS: 225 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 10:38 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:67de4b696fc146f674c6664e5296d289&mediaType=text
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BKC--BOSTON COLLEGE-MURRAY
Boston College hires UConn assistant Luke Murray, son of actor Bill Murray, as basketball coach
SUMMARY: Boston College has hired UConn assistant Luke Murray as coach of a slumping men’s basketball program that has gone 17 years without an NCAA Tournament appearance. Murray, the son of actor Bill Murray, will be a first-time head coach. He replaces Earl Grant after he was fired earlier this month after the Eagles had a losing record in four of his five seasons. Grant went 72-92 overall and 30-67 in Atlantic Coast Conference games. Murray has been a part of two national championship teams in his five seasons with UConn. The Huskies play Michigan State on Friday in the Sweet 16.
WORDS: 298 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 9:34 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ef7eb275c9691b20c7f88e768d88fad2&mediaType=text
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GLF--HOUSTON OPEN
Paul Waring trying to get his game on track and leads in Houston by one shot over Woodland
SUMMARY: Paul Waring and his bold escape late in the round gave him a 63 and a bogey-free card to lead the Houston Open. Gary Woodland atoned for his one bogey with two birdies at the end for a 64. Both are overcoming obstacles of a different variety. Waring had a shoulder injury that shut him down last July during his first year on the PGA Tour. The Englishman feels he’s back to full strength. Woodland is still recovering from brain surgery and now is coping with PTSD. But he went public with his struggles and feels a big weight lifted.
WORDS: 692 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 9:19 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:1a951da1311e9cb3163faa61da3d1e4e&mediaType=text
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SOC--IRAN-TRAVEL BAN
Iran forbids its sports teams from traveling to ‘hostile’ countries
SUMMARY: Iran has banned its sports teams from traveling to countries it considers “hostile,” Iranian state TV reported ahead of Tractor FC’s scheduled soccer game in Saudi Arabia. The ban announced by Iran’s Ministry of Sports didn’t mention the World Cup. The ministry’s statement singled out the Tractor game against Shabab Al Ahli of Dubai that was set to be played in Saudi Arabia. It’s a playoff game in the Asian Champions League Elite.
WORDS: 402 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 8:51 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:58a6347b3bab91b18b5cdd444a2a417d&mediaType=text
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SOC--BRAZIL-FRANCE
Kylian Mbappé shakes off knee injury and sparks France’s 2-1 World Cup tuneup win over Brazil
SUMMARY: France forward Kylian Mbappé showed no ill effects of his left knee injury when he broke free for a goal to give France an early lead on its way to a 2-1 victory over Brazil in a World Cup tuneup between two of the world’s top teams. With a crowd of 66,215 heavily favoring Brazil, Mbappé and Hugo Ekitike gave France a 2-0 lead on the same pitch where they will play their final group stage game of this summer’s World Cup. That will be against Norway and Erling Haaland. Bremer cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 78th minute.
WORDS: 870 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 8:31 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:52f7a0038a6bd100bc3e696032546c27&mediaType=text
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BBO--PHILLIES-BOHM-LAWSUIT
Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm sues his parents, accuses them of misusing his money
SUMMARY: Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm is suing his parents for millions of dollars, accusing them of siphoning large amounts of his money into financial accounts they managed for him and then using some of the cash to pay their own expenses. Bohm’s lawsuit, filed Wednesday in a Philadelphia court, comes after he began to review his personal and financial affairs in recent months, and said that his parents refused to give him access to the accounts or provide him with the information he sought about them. Bohm’s parents, Daniel and Lisa Bohm, denied doing anything wrong. The 29-year-old Bohm has a $10.2 million contract with the Phillies for the 2026 season.
WORDS: 410 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 8:27 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:46b1dd55f501340ba3f849769ec79cbf&mediaType=text
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SOC--WCUP PLAYOFFS-EUROPE
Italy beats Northern Ireland 2-0 in World Cup playoff semifinal. Gyökeres gets hat trick for Sweden
SUMMARY: Italy finally won a match in the World Cup playoffs. Now the four-time champion needs to win one more to avoid failing to qualify for a third straight time. The Azzurri beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in the European semifinals. Sandro Tonali broke the deadlock with a half-volley early in the second half for Italy at home in Bergamo and then set up another goal for Moise Kean. Also advancing to the playoff finals on Tuesday were Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Poland, Turkey, Kosovo, Denmark and the Czech Republic. Italy next visits Bosnia needing another victory to reach the upcoming tournament in North America.
WORDS: 882 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 7:14 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:86cce5cdf91eff771981825a89921f12&mediaType=text
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BKC--LSU-MCMAHON-WADE
Will Wade leaves NC State for a second shot to coach LSU after Matt McMahon’s firing
SUMMARY: LSU has fired fourth-year coach Matt McMahon and has rehired former Tigers coach Will Wade from N.C. State. Wade says “the opportunity to return to Louisiana State University is deeply personal. It’s a chance to go home — to a place that means a great deal to me and my family.” Wade’s return to LSU comes four years after his firing there over allegations of money-fueled recruiting violations. N.C. State athletic director Boo Corrigan says he’s ”disappointed in how it went down” but doesn’t regret hiring Wade, who coached the Wolfpack to the First Four of March Madness this season. N.C. State hired Wade after his two March Madness appearances with McNeese State.
WORDS: 1285 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 7:13 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:94ce478baf8ac2a5e19f55ed899fe51c&mediaType=text
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OLY--IOC-FEMALE ELIGIBILITY
Transgender women athletes banned from female Olympic events by new IOC policy
SUMMARY: Transgender women athletes are now excluded from the Olympics after the IOC agreed to a new eligibility policy It aligns with U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order on women’s sports ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The International Olympic Committee says “eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females.” Eligibility will be determined by “a one‑time SRY gene screening.” It is unclear how many, if any, transgender women are competing at an Olympic level.
WORDS: 1058 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 6:11 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:520cd9cee152a312767a667acf77dbc8&mediaType=text
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FIG--WORLDS
Malinin rebounds from Olympics at the worlds with a personal-best short program
SUMMARY: Ilia Malinin has a massive nine-point lead at the figure skating world championships in Prague after winning the short program with a personal-best score. Malinin is the defending two-time champion. He scored 111.29 points. He opened with a quad flip and a quad lutz and triple toe loop combo. Adam Siao Him Fa of France is second. Aleksandr Selevko of Estonia has surprised to be third. Also, Olympic pairs bronze medalists Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany claimed their first gold in the pairs competition.
WORDS: 702 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 5:58 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:864314c81be84959904bebeeaa71f96a&mediaType=text
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OLY--UN-UKRAINE-HELMET
Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, banned from Olympics, speaks at United Nations
SUMMARY: Vladyslav Heraskevych was shunned by the Olympics, then invited to the United Nations. He never expected that would happen. The Ukrainian skeleton athlete was not allowed to compete at the Milan Cortina Games because of his plan to wear a helmet paying tribute to some of those killed following Russia’s invasion of his country. He spoke on a panel at the U.N. on Thursday detailing why he still believes he made the right decision.
WORDS: 729 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 5:55 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:07b9fc620ce7688ef69753973afdf521&mediaType=text
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BBO--PIRATES-SKENES
Pirates ace Paul Skenes gets chased in the 1st inning by the Mets on opening day
SUMMARY: Paul Skenes didn’t even get through the first inning on opening day. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner gave up five runs and got only two outs against the New York Mets, putting the Pittsburgh Pirates in an early hole at Citi Field. Hurt by shoddy defense from Oneil Cruz in center field, Skenes was pulled by manager Don Kelly after throwing 37 pitches as the Mets batted around. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed four hits and two walks. He also hit a batter with a pitch in what was by far the shortest of his 56 major league starts. The five runs Skenes permitted matched his career high.
WORDS: 757 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 5:51 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:615749908c4b196ba83f7bb6354e7991&mediaType=text
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BBO--PIRATES-METS
New-look Mets knock out Skenes in 1st inning and sink Pirates 11-7 in season opener at Citi Field
SUMMARY: Brett Baty laced a bases-loaded triple and the New York Mets chased Paul Skenes in the first inning of his worst major league start, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-7 in their season opener at Citi Field. Carson Benge homered in his first career game, going back-to-back with Francisco Alvarez at the bottom of a new-look lineup, and Freddy Peralta won his Mets debut as New York improved to 42-23 on opening day. That’s the best record of any big league team — even though the Mets lost their first eight openers from 1962-69. Brandon Lowe homered twice and fellow Pirates newcomer Ryan O’Hearn also went deep, but Pittsburgh’s pitching and defense were dreadful in a disappointing start.
WORDS: 383 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 5:50 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:1bb877a0e7df1978b6c9d2ae96e803bf&mediaType=text
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CAR--NASCAR-JGR-GABEHART LAWSUIT
Joe Gibbs Racing alleges Spire cheated with stolen data from former competition director
SUMMARY: Joe Gibbs Racing has accused Spire Motorsports of cheating by hiring its former competition director and using stolen team data. The parties were in federal court Thursday arguing over whether Chris Gabehart can start work at Spire. JGR says Gabehart photographed internal information and built files labeled “Spire” and “Past Setups” to boost his value. Gabehart admits he photographed data but denies sharing it. Spire also denies receiving anything. Spire’s lawyer says JGR has no proof. The judge extended a restraining order on Gabehart until April 9 and is taking the request for an injunction under advisement.
WORDS: 687 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 5:35 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:760bc194476c2453c64e168ba5e7d86d&mediaType=text
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BKC--NCAA-EAST PREVIEW
Washington welcomes a stellar March Madness quartet in Duke, UConn, Michigan State and St. John’s
SUMMARY: The nation’s capital has turned into championship central this week. The four teams in Washington for the Sweet 16 on Friday night — Duke, St. John’s, Michigan State and UConn — have won a combined 13 national championships. The other 12 teams remaining in this year’s field have won a total of three. Top-seeded Duke faces fifth-seeded St. John’s in Friday night’s first game. That’s followed by second-seeded UConn taking on third-seeded Michigan State.
WORDS: 808 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 5:35 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:7fc36fd252a391fb4c8ff8d623ecc5ca&mediaType=text
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FBN--BRADY-RETIREMENT
Tom Brady says he’s weighed coming out of retirement, but the NFL doesn’t like the idea
SUMMARY: Tom Brady says he has thought about returning to the NFL, but the league isn’t a fan of the idea. In an interview released on Thursday, Brady told CNBC he has asked about the eligibility rules for a minority owner. He says the NFL wasn’t too receptive and he’s also very happily retired. Brady owns a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. Brady first retired in the 2022 offseason, then returned after 40 days. He retired again in February 2023. He recently turned heads in a Fanatics flag football event.
WORDS: 220 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 3:37 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:dbcfe1a41cb548154280735593288c0a&mediaType=text
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BKC--NCAA-DUKE-FOSTER
Duke coach says Caleb Foster will try to make his March Madness return against St. John’s
SUMMARY: Duke coach Jon Scheyer says point guard Caleb Foster will try to play in Friday night’s Sweet 16 matchup against St. John’s. Foster broke his right foot in Duke’s regular-season finale and missed the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the top-seeded Blue Devils. He was on the court Thursday during the portion of practice open to reporters, but that largely consisted of stretching and a bit of shooting. It was hard to tell how mobile Foster might be. Foster is averaging 8.5 points per game this season. He’s made 30 starts.
WORDS: 435 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 2:57 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8111f910a982ad44fffa1483c7b9fc65&mediaType=text
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FBO--FROM HOOPS TO FLAG FOOTBALL
Women’s flag football has basketball players trading sneakers for cleats ahead of 2028 LA Games
SUMMARY: Loryn Goodwin was a WNBA draft pick and O’Mariah Gordon an All-ACC guard at Florida State. They switched to flag football and have a shot at making the 2026 Team USA squad for world championships in Germany. Maybe even the squad when the sport makes its Olympic debut at the 2028 LA Games. Flag football is so new the leaders of USA Football are searching for players in all places. Because the skills that make an elite player in hoops — athleticism, vision, eye-hand coordination — translate to the flag football field. Both Goodwin and Gordon will take part in USA Football’s two training camps this spring in California.
WORDS: 918 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 2:02 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b72a8e64e2bc57d59d4cdb51cfb595c9&mediaType=text
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FBN--NFL-MOCK DRAFT 2.0
AP Mock Draft 2.0: The Raiders take Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall
SUMMARY: Fernando Mendoza didn’t participate in on-field drills at the combine last month but plans to showcase his skills at Indiana’s pro day next week. He doesn’t have to do anything else to improve his draft positioning. The Heisman Trophy winner who led Indiana to its first national championship is an overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick when the Las Vegas Raiders are on the clock in April. The rest of the NFL draft isn’t that clear-cut. The only other quarterback expected to go in the first round is Alabama’s Ty Simpson, whose stock is rising among analysts.
WORDS: 1518 - MOVED: 03/26/2026 1:48 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b43a8bcec4c9212a0c4f48a0541b1ff6&mediaType=text
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