NCAAMBB – 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament – First Four
Today
16 Texas Southern vs. 16 Mount St. Mary’s, 5:10 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM East Region
11 Drake vs. 11 Wichita State, 6:27 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM West Region
16 Appalachian State vs. 16 Norfolk State, 8:40 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM West Region
11 Michigan State vs. 11 UCLA, 9:57 p.m. Superhits 103.7 Cosy-FM 9:00/94.9 WSJM East Region
NCAAMBB – Not NCAA Property: Players push for reform on social media
Some of the top players at the March Madness tournament in Indiana are speaking out against the NCAA. Isaiah Livers of Michigan, Geo Baker of Rutgers and Jordan Bohannon of Iowa were among the players who took to social media demanding equal rights. They used the hashtag #NotNCAAProperty. They want the OK to earn money for things like sponsorship deals, online endorsement and personnel appearances. The NCAA is in the process of changing its rules to allow athletes to profit from their names, images and likenesses. Those efforts have bogged down since the start of 2021.
NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Detroit Pistons 116, Toronto Raptors 112
Brooklyn Nets 124, Indiana Pacers 115
San Antonio Spurs 106, Chicago Bulls 99
Pistons 116, Raptors 112 – Bey’s double-double leads Pistons over slumping Raptors
Saddiq Bey had 28 points and 12 rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons overcame Norman Powell’s 43 points to beat the Toronto Raptors 116-112, ending a four-game skid. Bey, who leads all rookies in 3-pointers, was 6 of 10 from behind the arc for Detroit, which had lost 10 of 12. Delon Wright added 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Jerami Grant had 23 points. The Pistons outrebounded Toronto 54-30. Chris Boucher added 21 points for the Raptors, who have lost six straight. Kyle Lowry had eight points and 15 assists.
Nets 124, Pacers 115 – James Harden has triple-double, short-handed Nets top Pacers
James Harden had 40 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds for his 11th triple-double of the season, leading the Brooklyn Nets to a 124-115 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night. The Nets were without fellow All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant and newcomer Blake Griffin. Harden was 13 of 27 from the field and 12 of 14 at the line. When he wasn’t shooting, he set up open teammates driving to the basket, often for dunks and layups. Malcolm Brogdon led Indiana with 24 points, and Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Spurs 106, Bulls 99 – Poeltl has 20 points, 16 rebounds as Spurs rally past Bulls
Jakob Poeltl tied a career high with 20 points and set one with 16 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs used a huge fourth quarter to beat the Chicago Bulls 106-99. The Spurs trailed by 23 in the second quarter and were down 58-40 after their lowest-scoring first half of the season. But they dominated Chicago 39-19 in the fourth to come away with their second straight win after losing three of four. The Spurs came out on top even though they made just 8 of 31 3-pointers. Zach LaVine led Chicago with 29 points after scoring 40 the previous night in a win over Oklahoma City. Thaddeus Young, playing his 1,000th game, scored 16. And Patrick Williams grabbed 14 rebounds.
NBA – Pistons hire EMU coach to be G League team’s GM
Rob Murphy has been hired as president and general manager of the Detroit Pistons’ G League affiliate. The Pistons announced the move Wednesday. Murphy previously was the coach at Eastern Michigan for the past 10 seasons. He will oversee basketball and business operations for the Motor City Cruise. Murphy said it’s an honor to join the Pistons organization. He went 166-155 at EMU. Before that, he was an assistant at Syracuse and Kent State.
NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:00 p.m.
Dallas Stars at Detroit Red Wings, 7:30 p.m.
NHL – Sabres fire coach Krueger while in midst of 12-game skid
The Buffalo Sabres have fired coach Ralph Krueger less than two years into his tenure and with the free-falling team in the midst of a 0-10-2 skid. The Sabres made the move the morning after a 3-2 loss at New Jersey against a Devils team that snapped an 11-game home skid. Assistant coach Don Granato takes over on an interim basis. General manager Kevyn Adams hasn’t ruled out more changes by noting he’s open to “anything and everything,” in advance of the NHL trade deadline on April 12.
MLB – Spring Training
Yesterday
Philadelphia Phillies 2, Detroit Tigers 0
Los Angeles Dodgers 4, Chicago White Sox 3
Chicago Cubs 8, San Diego Padres 2
Today
Chicago Cubs at Cleveland Indians, 4:05 p.m.
Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 4:05 p.m.
Detroit Tigers are off
MLB – White Sox OF Robert looking to build on impressive debut
Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert is looking to build on his impressive rookie season. He is working on pitch recognition at the plate, and he wants to put everything he learned last summer to good use. After struggling in September, Robert finished his first season with a .233 batting average, 11 homers, 31 RBIs and nine steals in 11 attempts. He also became the second rookie in franchise history to win a Gold Glove, joining Tommie Agee in 1966.
MLB – Automated strike zone coming to minors but a while from MLB
If a minor league player says an umpire is acting like a robot this year, he might be right. Computer umpires for ball and strikes are coming to a low-level minor league but are a while away from the big leagues. Major League Baseball plans to use Automated Ball-Strike technology in eight of nine ballparks at the Low-A Southeast League, which starts play May 4 as minor league baseball resumes after a one-year break caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Major League Baseball Umpires Association agreed to cooperate if the system is utilized by MLB.
NFL – AP source: RB Jamaal Williams agrees to sign with Lions
A person familiar with the situation says running back Jamaal Williams has agreed to sign with the Detroit Lions. The person spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the deal. Reports say the unrestricted free agent agreed to a two-year, $7.5 million contract. Williams provides a boost for a backfield that includes D’Andre Swift and Kerryon Johnson. Green Bay drafted Williams out of BYU in the fourth round in 2017.
NFL – Bears announce deals with Dalton, safety Bush, OL Ifedi
The Chicago Bears have announced a one-year contract with former Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton as well as one-year deals with safety Deon Bush and offensive lineman Germain Ifedi. The three-time Pro Bowler signed with Dallas last May to back up Dak Prescott after getting released by Cincinnati and wound up making nine starts and playing in 11 games. Dalton has thrown for 33,764 yards, 218 touchdowns and 126 interceptions. He set several Bengals passing records over nine seasons but he never led them past the 1st round of the playoffs.
Boston Marathon – Dick Hoyt, who pushed son in multiple Boston Marathons, dies
Dick Hoyt, who inspired thousands of runners, fathers and disabled athletes by pushing his son, Rick, in a wheelchair in dozens of Boston Marathons and hundreds of other races, has died. He was 80. Hoyt first pushed his son, who is quadriplegic has cerebral palsy, in the Boston Marathon in 1980. Dick and Rick completed 32 Boston Marathons together, until Dick retired in 2014, citing health issues.
MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball
Allegan 66, Paw Paw 41
Edwardsburg 61, Dowagiac 38
Otsego 43, Plainwell 38
Sturgis at Three Rivers, CCD
Lawrence at Eau Claire, CCD
Girls Basketball
Brandywine 46, Marcellus 25
Vicksburg 58, Niles 31
Otsego 38, Plainwell 37
Paw Paw 44, Allegan 37
Three Rivers 62, Sturgis 33
Edwardsburg at Dowagiac, CCD
Lawrence at Eau Claire, CCD
Wrestling – Team Districts
Division 2 at Lakeshore
St. Joseph (Bye)
Lakeshore 35, Paw Paw 34
Championship – Lakeshore 49, St. Joseph 22
Division 2 at Gull Lake
Gull Lake 41, Plainwell 27
Harper Creek 63, Vicksburg 12
Championship – Gull Lake 67, Harper Creek 16
Division 3 at South Haven
Watervliet 42, Coloma 12
South Haven 66, Benton Harbor 12
Championship – South Haven 54, Watervliet 21
Division 4 at Lawton
Galesburg-Augusta 30, Gobles 18
Lawton (Bye)
Championship – Lawton 78, Galesburg-Augusta 3
Division 4 at Decatur
Bangor defeats Hartford by forfeit
Decatur defeats Lawrence by forfeit
Championship – Decatur 48, Bangor 33
Division 4 at White Pigeon
White Pigeon 51, Centreville 24
Schoolcraft 72, Marcellus 9
Championship – Schoolcraft 63, White Pigeon 11
Division 4 at Cassopolis
Cassopolis 48, River Valley 12
Eau Claire (bye)
Championship – Cassopolis 36, Eau Claire 21
Tonight
Boys Basketball
Vicksburg at Berrien Springs, 7:15 p.m.
Coloma at Saugatuck, 7:00 p.m.
Martin at Gobles, 7:00 p.m.
Lawton at Kalamazoo Hackett, 7:00 p.m.
Constantine at Parchment, 6:00 p.m.
Galesburg-Augusta at Delton-Kellogg, 7:00 p.m.
River Valley at Marshall Academy, 6:45 p.m.
Decatur at Bangor, 6:00 p.m.
Mendon at Cassopolis, 7:30 p.m.
Marcellus at Centreville, 7:30 p.m.
Battle Creek Central at Gull Lake, 7:00 p.m.
Girls Basketball
Allegan at South Haven, 7:00 p.m.
Fennville at Watervliet, 7:00 p.m.
Saugatuck at Coloma, 7:00 p.m.
Gobles at Martin, 7:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Hackett at Lawton, 7:00 p.m.
Parchment at Constantine, 6:00 p.m.
Delton-Kellogg at Galesburg-Augusta, 7:00 p.m.
Centreville at Bangor, 7:30 p.m.
Mendon at Cassopolis, 6:00 p.m.
Portage Central at Mattawan, 7:00 p.m.
Howardsville Chr. at B.C. Academy, 6:00 p.m.
Wrestling – Team Districts
Division 1 at Kalamazoo Central
5:00 – Mattawan vs. Kalamazoo Central
5:00 – East Kentwood vs. Caledonia
6:30 – Championship
Division 1 at Portage Northern
5:00 – Battle Creek Lakeview vs. Portage Central
5:00 – Portage Northern vs. Kalamazoo Loy Norrix
6:30 – Championship
Division 2 at Edwardsburg
5:00 – Sturgis vs. Edwardsburg
5:00 – Coldwater vs. Niles
6:30 – Championship
Division 2 at Allegan
6:00 – Hastings vs. Wayland
6:00 – Allegan vs. Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg
7:30 – Championship
Division 3 at Dowagiac
Dowagiac (Bye)
5:00 – Brandywine vs. Berrien Springs
7:30 – Championship
Division 3 at Otsego
Hopkins (Bye)
6:00 – Otsego vs. Fennville
7:30 – Championship
Division 3 at Three Rivers
5:30 – Parchment vs. Constantine
5:30 – Three Rivers vs. Comstock
7:00 – Championship
