By MARK LONG, AP Sports Writer MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Christopher Bell's last race could prove more daunting than his next one. Bell faced a must-win scenario in the semifinal round of the Xfinity Series playoffs at Phoenix last week, needing to beat 39 other drivers to earn the fourth ...
By BRETT MARTEL, AP Sports Writer BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — LSU coach Ed Orgeron didn't want to hear about resting key starters or giving young reserves more snaps — no matter how much of a prohibitive favorite his tenth-ranked Tigers may be against struggling Rice. Apparently, bad memories ...
By CHARLES ODUM, AP Sports Writer ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — In Mark Whipple's two stints as the UMass coach covering 11 years and time spent in FCS and FBS, No. 5 Georgia is his pick as the Minutemen's toughest opponent. Whipple says he didn't even have to pass along that opinion to his ...
By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Virginia's championship hopes could be dashed before the Cavaliers take the field Saturday. Yet, there isn't time to fret over what-ifs. The triple-option demands their full attention. Georgia Tech leads the nation in rushing yards with an ...
By The Associated Press Things to watch in the Atlantic Coast Conference in Week 12: GAME OF THE WEEK No. 12 Syracuse vs. No. 3 Notre Dame. Coach Dino Babers' Orange (8-2, 5-2, No. 12 CFP) have been the surprise story of the season in the ACC, making a case for a New Year's Six bowl berth ...
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Basketball Writer ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Time, right now, is Jimmy Butler's best friend. That's all that the Philadelphia 76ers and their newest player need. They will figure things out, figure out who goes where and who does what in every situation. In time, they'll be ...
By JOEDY McCREARY, AP Sports Writer DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Drake has already been spotted wearing Zion Williamson's high school jersey. Let that be proof: Duke's season is just starting, and the Blue Devils' freshmen have already arrived. Just three games into their college careers, the ...
By The Associated Press VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Charles Matthews scored 19 points, Ignas Brazdeikis had 18 and No. 18 Michigan beat No. 8 Villanova 73-46 in a national championship game rematch Wednesday night. Villanova captured its second title in three years with a 79-62 victory over ...
By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — A floating jumper, a foul and a free throw in the fourth quarter of a tight game. With a gorgeous three-point play , the King jumped over the Big Dipper. LeBron James' inimitable presence has already been felt in his first few weeks in ...
By GARY B. GRAVES, AP Sports Writer LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — As No. 10 Kentucky works through initial growing pains, it can feel good about its first lopsided win this season. PJ Washington set a career high with 25 points and grabbed a season-best seven rebounds, Tyler Herro added 18 points ...
No. 18 Iowa St-No. 13 Texas matches Big 12 title contenders By The Associated Press Some things to know about Week 12 in the Big 12 Conference: GAME OF THE WEEK No. 18 Iowa State (6-3, 5-2 Big 12) at No. 13 Texas (7-3, 5-2). The winner will still be in contention for a spot in the Big 12 ...
By ERIC OLSON, AP College Football Writer Here's what to watch in the Big Ten this week: BEST GAME No. 8 Ohio State at Maryland This season has been plain weird for the Buckeyes (9-1, 6-1, No. 10 CFP) with all the off-field distraction and uneven on-field performances. Yet they're still in ...
By Will Graves AP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers spent the better part of 10 months waiting on Le’Veon Bell to show up for work. They said all the right things, stressed they understood the star running back was making a business decision by opting to stay home ...
By Jake Seiner AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — After a season marred by narrow defeats, Jacob deGrom became a runaway winner. The New York Mets ace easily won the National League Cy Young Award on Wednesday night, a reward for a historically fruitless season in Flushing. The ...
By KAWEEWIT KAEWJINDA and TASSANEE VEJPONGSA, Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — The death of a 13-year-old boy who was knocked out during a kickboxing match in Thailand has sparked debate over whether to ban matches involving children. The death of Anucha Tasako came after a Muay Thai — ...
By GIDEON RUBIN, Associated Press SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — On a night when he reached an impressive personal milestone, Joe Thornton wasn't taking stock of his career accomplishments. The veteran San Jose Sharks center even bristled when asked about it. "I'm just trying to improve my game, ...
By JIM VERTUNO, AP Sports Writer AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Once upon a time, Jerrod Heard had the "juice." He was the quarterback of the future for the Texas Longhorns and he'd just smashed Vince Young's single-game school record with 527 total yards against California. He could throw. He could ...
By TODD BURLAGE, Associated Press SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Senior Dexter Williams has been through countless ups and downs during his four years at Notre Dame. Injury, suspension, an arrest, the emotions of helping his ailing mother — all of it has weighed down Williams at times. He has ...
By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant never found his typical offensive flow and found it a little strange playing without fiery Draymond Green, even if they have yet to make up from all that went down a night earlier in Los Angeles. Durant isn't sharing ...
By STEVE MEGARGEE, AP Sports Writer KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — No. 5 Tennessee celebrated its first top-five ranking in more than a decade by showcasing the stingy defense that helped these Volunteers earn their rare status. Grant Williams scored 22 points as Tennessee beat cold-shooting ...