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Donovan says Ball faces ‘long rehab’ with another surgery

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:31:54 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Bulls coach Billy Donovan wasn’t sure when or even if Lonzo Ball will play again for Chicago, with the point guard set to have yet another surgery on his troublesome left knee.Donovan said Ball will likely undergo a cartilage transplant early next week, though he wasn’t sure which day, and is in for “a long rehab.”“For me to say, ‘I have no hope that he’s ever gonna play here again’ or ‘yeah, he’s definitely going to be back,’ I just don’t know,” Donovan said Friday.One thing that gives Donovan optimism is Ball’s work ethic and attitude.“Even though he comes in, he’s around the team for a period of time, there is a lot of time that he’s away from everybody,” Donovan said. “Just having to come to grips of not playing is really, really hard, I think, probably for him to absorb. But he handles himself incredibly well. He’s so consistent all the time with his spirit and disposition and wha...

PSU’s Funk lands on list of great March Madness shooters

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:31:54 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Penn State star Jalen Pickett was already familiar with Andrew Funk and his long-distance shooting acumen, having faced the Nittany Lions newcomer in a Siena-Bucknell game with their previous teams.When they were paired together in a preseason workout last fall, well, the impression was really made.“We were shooting partners in one of the drills, and we won the shooting contest. I didn’t make many shots, but Andrew made most of them,” Pickett said with a smile. “I knew he could shoot it.”The rest of the country found out Thursday night, when Funk went 8 for 10 from 3-point range for a season-high 27 points to highlight No. 10 seed Penn State’s one-sided victory over Texas A&M.“Definitely, seeing that first one go in made me feel good,” said Funk, a fifth-year graduate transfer who is shooting a career-best 42% from deep.That initial make just 2:12 into the game helped alleviate the natural anxiety of his first NCAA Tournament appearance. The other r...

Princeton making another memorable March Madness run

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:31:54 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — When Mitch Henderson took over as coach at Princeton he wanted to give his players a lasting memory like his own — the one from 1996 when as a player he was part of the Tigers that shocked defending-champion UCLA in an iconic March Madness upset.He delivered on a new lasting memory for Princeton with the 15th-seeded Tigers’ first-round win over powerhouse Arizona. Now there’s a new hurdle to climb. “That game, for those that played in it, it gets brought up to all of us regularly,” Henderson said Friday about the win over UCLA. “This will happen to these guys over time, too. It will be even better if you make the Sweet 16. We want to keep dreaming big here with the group.”After winning a tournament game for the first time in 25 years, Princeton (22-8) can earn its first berth in the Sweet 16 since 1967 when only 23 teams were in the tournament by beating seventh-seeded Missouri (25-9) on Saturday. Princeton followed its last two tournament wins ...

March Madness: Top-seed Virginia Tech routs Chattanooga

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:31:54 GMT

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Georgia Amoore scored 22 points, Elizabeth Kitley added 12, and top-seeded Virginia Tech rolled to a 58-33 victory over No. 16 seed Chattanooga on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament’s Seattle Region.Kitley added 14 rebounds while Amoore hit five 3-pointers for the Hokies (28-4), who won their 12th consecutive game.Yazz Wazeerud-Din and Raven Thompson led Chattanooga (20-13) with 10 points each. The Moccasins were held to their lowest point total of the season.Virginia Tech, which is making its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, never trailed. The Hokies led by one late in the first quarter, but used a 17-0 run bridging the first and second quarters to pull away. Amoore scored eight points in that run.Chattanooga, which was making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017, struggled against an aggressive Virginia Tech defense. The Moccasins made just six field goals in the first half and shot 28.6% (14 of 49) for the game.Kayana T...

Schenk getting results in 10th straight week, leads Valspar

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:31:54 GMT

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) — Adam Schenk is playing for the 10th consecutive week on the PGA Tour and finally seeing some good results, making enough putts Friday for a 2-under 69 that gave him a one-shot lead going into the weekend at the Valspar Championship.Schenk had four birdies, all but one of them from inside 10 feet, and finished with a bogey from the bunker short of the 18th on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook.That didn’t bother him too much because of the 20-foot putt he made for par on the par-3 eighth, the 10-footer for par he made on the 10th and the long up-and-down for par on the par-5 11th.“I feel like a lot of times you … maybe shoot 2 under and you’re like, ‘It could have been 6 or 7.’ But it really couldn’t have been a ton better with the amount of putts I made,” he said.He was at 7-under 135, one shot ahead of Kramer Hickok, who had a 68.Jordan Spieth is a big part of the weekend, wasting a great round of driving with some suspect short iro...

UCLA’s Kiki Rice AP Diary: excited to play in March Madness

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:31:54 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s finally here, my chance to play in March Madness.I grew up a huge college basketball fan, watching the NCAA Tournament and college games all the time. I used to do NCAA pools when I was younger and did pretty well. I took them seriously and made my brackets based off what I had seen throughout the season. I admit I did pretty well and usually ended up on the winning side of things.While I can’t do brackets pools anymore, I still am watching the men’s games. My roommates and I cheered on the men’s team from our dorm room the other night. Gabriela’s (Jaquez) brother plays on the men’s team and we were screaming at the TV rooting them on.Now it’s our turn to play in March Madness and it’s an awesome feeling. I’m excited to play in front of our home fans and it should be a great atmosphere. It’s not the easiest thing having the last game of the first round as I’ll be hyped up from watching the game...

Michigan women end UNLV’s 22-game win streak in 1st round

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:31:54 GMT

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Emily Kiser leads Michigan, by far, in the basketball equivalent of football helmet stickers for the number of winning plays she’s made this season — from diving for loose balls to taking charges.There are more than 40 stickers in her locker now, according to coach Kim Barnes Arico — more than double the number of any teammate. And there will be more to come before the women’s NCAA Tournament is over.Kiser had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Maddie Nolan added 18 points, and sixth-seeded Michigan beat 11th-seeded UNLV 71-59 in the first round on Friday, snapping the Rebels’ 22-game winning streak.“Our team had a little bit of a chip on their shoulder,” said Barnes Arico, whose team had entered the tournament having lost three of four. “We lost a couple games down the stretch but we weren’t completely healthy.“With everyone back, I think our players really have that confidence,” added Barnes Arico, whose team made the Elite Eight last ...

Altitude lawsuit settled, but still no games on Comcast

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:31:54 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Altitude and Comcast have settled a long-running lawsuit, but that does not mean Comcast subscribers will now get to watch Nuggets or Avalanche games.The settlement terms for the years-old federal lawsuit are confidential "except that the parties acknowledge that the settlement does not involve the carriage of Altitude on Comcast’s cable systems," Comcast said in a statement on Friday. "Comcast and Altitude remain willing to discuss potential future business and distribution arrangements." Expect to see more police downtown during NCAA, St. Patrick’s Day events Comcast said they've offered to provide a subscription-based arrangement to broadcast the regional sports network, "so that those customers who want it can get it and the vast majority who did not watch the network do not have to pay for it."Kroenke Sports and Entertainment owns the teams and Altitude, along with the venues where they play and other media entities. FOX31 has reached out to the company's repr...

Phyllis Miller Elementary’s Don Clerveaux named Teacher of the Year, gifted new Corolla

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:31:54 GMT

A South Florida schoolteacher received a special honor in front of his students, as well as some brand-new wheels to go with it.Aspecial ceremony took place at Phyllis Ruth Miller Elementary School in Miami on Friday.“We are proud of you, and we are proud of you,” cheerleaders chanted as they took to the field.They were talking about the man of the hour, science and social studies teacher Don Clerveaux, who won the 2024 Francisco R. Walker Teacher of the Year Award for Miami-Dade County Public Schools.United Teachers of Dade President Karla Hernandez-Mats was on hand to give the honoree an official Miami-Dade School Board proclamation.“We would like to say congratulations to Mr. Clerveaux,” said four students in unison.Clerveaux was treated to performances from his students, but the celebration did not end there.The teacher was given the keys to a brand-new Toyota Corolla.“It’s so humbling to have other people look at what I do and what teachers d...

West JFK Causeway drawbridge reopens after mechanical issue prompts closure

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:31:54 GMT

The west drawbridge along the John F. Kennedy Causeway in Miami has reopened after an hours-long closure caused a major traffic headache in the middle of rush hour.A mechanical issue caused the eastern span of the drawbridge to become stuck, Friday afternoon.Traffic was rerouted while crews made repairs.It has since reopened to traffic.