NCAAMBKB – Michigan’s Howard suspended 5 games for Wisconsin melee
Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard has been suspended the final five games of the regular season and fined $40,000 for hitting a Wisconsin assistant in the head, triggering a postgame melee. The Big Ten Conference also suspended three players one game for the altercation following the 15th-ranked Badgers’ 77-63 win on Sunday: Michigan’s Moussa Diabate and Terrance Williams II, and Jahcobi Neath of Wisconsin. Wisconsin coach Greg Gard was fined $10,000 for violating the conference’s sportsmanship policy, but was not suspended. Howard is expected to be back for the Big Ten tournament, which begins March 9 in Indianapolis.
NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball
Tonight
Michigan State at (25) Iowa, 7:00 p.m. Superhits 103.7 Cosy-FM 6:00
Toledo at Western Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
Central Michigan at Ohio, 7:00 p.m.
Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
NCAAMBKB – NCAA, New Orleans gearing up for a more normal Final Four
Expect the NCAA Men’s Final Four to have a more familiar look and feel to it this spring. And that’s not just because it’ll be in New Orleans for a record sixth time. A capacity crowd of about 70,000 is expected in the Superdome. The free, open Friday practices and the college All-Star game are back on the schedule. So are the sprawling Fan Fest and March Madness Music Festival. The National Association of Basketball Coaches convention that is traditionally held in conjunction with the Final Four also remains on track to take place as an in-person event for the first time since 2019.
NCAAMBKB – Gonzaga is unanimous choice
Gonzaga is the unanimous No. 1 in the latest Associated Press men’s basketball poll. The Zags aren’t likely to budge the way they’re dominating the West Coast Conference. Gonzaga remained at No. 1 for the second straight week, receiving all 61 votes from a media panel. Arizona moved up a spot to No. 2 for its highest ranking in four years, with Auburn, Purdue and Kansas rounding out the top five. Gonzaga is winning its WCC games by an average of 27 points. Saint Mary’s gave the WCC two ranked teams and No. 25 Iowa moved into the poll for the first time this season.
NCAAWBKB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night
Penn State 79, Michigan State 71
Ball State 73, Western Michigan 67
NBA – When the All-Star break ends, the NBA’s stretch run begins
When the All-Star break ends Thursday, the stretch run begins. There isn’t much time left in the NBA season. The All-Star weekend came at about the 60-game mark for teams, far beyond the midpoint of the 82-game schedule. It’s a sprint to the finish now, and the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers have to prove they have the legs to make a run. The Nets could have Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons on the floor soon to spark a surge. But the Lakers might be without Anthony Davis for more than a month, putting a heavy burden on LeBron James.
NHL – Hull no longer connected to Blackhawks as team ambassador
Hall of Fame forward Bobby Hull is no longer serving as a team ambassador for the Chicago Blackhawks. Hull played for Chicago for 15 years, collecting 604 goals and 549 assists. He was named a Blackhawks ambassador in a ceremony with fellow Hall of Famer Stan Mikita in 2008. The Blackhawks say they are redefining the role of team ambassador after Mikita died in 2018 and Tony Esposito passed away in August. The Blackhawks and Hull "jointly agreed earlier this season that he will retire from any official team role,” according to the team.
MLB – MLB makes slight moves as threat to openers intensifies
Baseball negotiations have resumed with new intensity in an effort to salvage opening day. Owners made a pair of slight moves Monday toward locked-out players but put off big-ticket bargaining issues until later. With a week or perhaps a little more time left to preserve openers on March 31, union head Tony Clark attended negotiations for the first time since the work stoppage began on Dec. 2. New York Mets stars Max Scherzer and Francisco Lindor were among 10 players who were at the session. MLB increased its offer of a bonus pool for pre-arbitration players by $5 million to $20 million that would go to 30 top players, a fraction of the $115 million for 150 players the union has asked for.
NFL – NFL scouting combine loosens virus rules after blowback
The NFL scouting combine will have a host of COVID-19 mitigation measures that are rankling agents and prospects. The combine told all 324 players invited to the league’s annual evaluation gathering that they’ll have to spend their time in a bubble and can only bring one support person such as a personal trainer. Most prospects have a team of support that includes nutritionists, therapists and others. Agents are miffed the restrictions were issued over the weekend with the Omicron variant wave receding. The NFL has resisted that idea of keeping players in a bubble during the pandemic.
NFL – NFL and XFL collaborating on player safety and health data
The NFL is collaborating with the XFL for player safety and health data. The XFL, which plans to relaunch in 2023, will be working with the NFL on physical and mental fitness programs for players, the study of playing surfaces and equipment, and the sharing of game trends and data. Also potentially in the works between the leagues could be international football development and scouting, and officiating, including the testing of game rules for player protection as well as technologies to enhance officiating.
Horse Racing – Medina Spirit stripped of Kentucky Derby victory
Medina Spirit has been stripped of the victory in last year’s Kentucky Derby and Mandaloun has been declared the winner in a ruling by state racing stewards. The since-deceased Medina Spirit tested positive after the race last May for a steroid, betamethasone, that is legal in Kentucky but banned on race day. Medina Spirit finished half a length ahead of Mandaloun in the race, giving trainer Bob Baffert what was then his seventh Kentucky Derby title. Baffert was subsequently banned for two years by Churchill Downs following the positive test. Monday’s decision by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission makes Medina Spirit the second horse in the 147-year history of the race to be disqualified for a banned substance.
Olympics – For Chinese leaders, Olympics weren’t 2022’s big-ticket item
The just-concluded Winter Olympics aren’t China’s big event of the year. For the Communist Party, that comes this fall at a major meeting that will likely cement Xi Jinping’s position as one of the nation’s most powerful leaders in its seven decades of Communist rule. The party congress is expected to appoint Xi to a third five-year term as its leader, breaking with recent past practice that limited the top person to 10 years in power. That would pave the way for him to get a third term as China’s president at the following year’s annual meeting of the legislature.
Tennis – Djokovic wins his first match of 2022 in Dubai
Novak Djokovic has won his first match of the year after beating Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-3 to open the Dubai Championships. Djokovic couldn’t defend his Australian Open title last month because he was deported from the country for being unvaccinated. The United Arab Emirates allowed him entry, and Djokovic cashed in at a tournament he’s won five times. He next faces Karen Khachanov or Alex de Minaur.
MCCAA – Junior College Basketball
Last Night
Women’s Basketball
Grand Rapids Community College 47, Lake Michigan College 42
Men’s Basketball
Grand Rapids Community College 77, Lake Michigan College 75
MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball
BCS
River Valley 63, Lake Michigan Catholic 37
Wolverine
Sturgis 48, Niles 46
Non-Conference
Lawrence 53, Kalamazoo Heritage 33
Gobles 54, Holland Black River 24
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 72, Wyoming Tri-Unity 68
Girls Basketball
SMAC
Mattawan 38, Lakeshore 29
BCS
Buchanan 42, Brandywine 36
Wolverine
Niles 52, Sturgis 43
Non-Conference
Watervliet 57, Berrien Springs 13
Dowagiac 29, South Haven 25 – OT
Gobles 65, Holland Black River 26
Wyoming Tri-Unity 37, Fennville 24
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 79, Union City 41
Howardsville Christian 37, Kal. Heritage 25
Tonight
Boys Basketball
Non-Conference
Coloma at Benton Harbor, 7:00 p.m.
Lakeshore at Edwardsburg, 7:15 p.m.
Mattawan at Buchanan, 7:30 p.m.
Watervliet at Dowagiac, 7:15 p.m.
Niles at South Haven, 7:00 p.m.
South Bend Riley (IN) at Brandywine, 7:00 p.m.
Battle Creek Lakeview at Otsego, 7:15 p.m.
Portage Central at Vicksburg, 7:15 p.m.
Gull Lake at East Lansing, 7:00 p.m.
Three Rivers at Schoolcraft, 7:00 p.m.
Maple Valley at Galesburg-Augusta, 7:00 p.m.
Fennville at G.R. Covenant Christian, 7:00 p.m.
Wyoming Potter’s House at Martin, 7:00 p.m.
BCS
New Buffalo at Michigan Lutheran, 7:30 p.m.
Bridgman at Berrien Springs, 7:30 p.m.
Covert at Eau Claire, 7:30 p.m.
River Valley at Lawrence, 7:00 p.m.
Countryside at Howardsville Chr., 7:30 p.m.
Southwest 10
White Pigeon at Bangor, 7:00 p.m.
Hartford at Bloomingdale, 7:30 p.m.
Cassopolis at Centreville, 7:00 p.m.
Decatur at Marcellus, 7:30 p.m.
Comstock at Mendon, 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball
Non-Conference
St. Joseph at Edwardsburg, 5:45 p.m.
Benton Harbor at Paw Paw, 7:00 p.m.
Lawton at Brandywine, 5:30 p.m.
Otsego at Battle Creek Lakeview, 7:15 p.m.
Buchanan at Mattawan, 7:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix at Parchment, 7:00 p.m.
Vicksburg at Portage Central, 7:00 p.m.
Plainwell at Gull Lake, 7:00 p.m.
Schoolcraft at Three Rivers, 7:00 p.m.
Constantine at Bronson, 7:00 p.m.
Maple Valley at Galesburg-Augusta, 5:30 p.m.
Martin at Wyoming Potter’s House, 7:00 p.m.
BCS
Lake Michigan Catholic at Bridgman, 7:30 p.m.
Michigan Lutheran at New Buffalo, 6:00 p.m.
Lawrence at River Valley, 7:30 p.m.
Southwest 10
Bangor at White Pigeon, 7:00 p.m.
Bloomingdale at Hartford, 7:30 p.m.
Centreville at Cassopolis, 7:00 p.m.
Decatur at Marcellus, 6:00 p.m.
Mendon at Comstock, 7:30 p.m.
MHSAA – High School Basketball AP Rankings
Boys Basketball
Division 1
1. Detroit King (5) (16-1) 75
2. Detroit U-D Jesuit (12-4) 70
3. Muskegon (13-1) 62
4. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (12-4) 60
5. Grand Rapids Northview (16-1) 56
6. Detroit Cass Tech (15-3) 47
7. Hamtramck (14-2) 45
8. Grand Haven (16-1) 33
9. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (12-5) 26
10. Oak Park (12-3) 24
Others receiving votes: Rockford 19, Warren De La Salle 13, Grand Blanc 13, East Lansing 12, River Rouge 12, Detroit Western International 11, Detroit Catholic Central 7, Canton 6, Ann Arbor Huron 5, Detroit Renaissance 3, North Farmington 1.
Division 2
1. Williamston (5) (17-0) 75
2. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (17-1) 70
3. Hudsonville Unity Christian (17-0) 65
4. Ferndale (13-2) 59
5. Croswell-Lexington (15-0) 56
6. Benton Harbor (15-2) 45
7. Marshall (16-1) 44
8. Onsted (17-0) 37
9. Parchment (17-1) 35
10. Freeland (16-0) 34
Others receiving votes: Romulus Summit Academy 25, Standish Sterling Central 16, Olivet 8, Carrollton 7, Saginaw 6, Detroit Edison 5, Ovid-Elsie 4, Warren Lincoln 3, Warren Michigan Collegiate 3, Grand Rapids West Catholic 2, Battle Creek Harper Creek 1.
Division 3
1. Flint Beecher (5) (15-1) 75
2. Reese (14-2) 69
3. Menominee (15-2) 60
4. Schoolcraft (15-2) 58
5. Riverview Gabriel Richard (16-0) 57
6. Traverse City St. Francis (14-2) 47
7. Benzonia Benzie Central (15-1) 44
8. Grand Rapids Covenant Christian (13-2) 32
9. Detroit Loyola (12-5) 28
10. Bad Axe (14-2) 25
Others receiving votes: Vandercook Lake 24, Mesick 22, Maple City Glen Lake 16, Grandville Calvin Christian 14, Blanchard Montabella 11, Centreville 7, Pewamo-Westphalia 6, Napoleon 2, Painesdale Jeffers 1, Ecorse 1, Erie-Mason 1.
Division 4
1. Southfield Christian (3) (14-4) 72
2. McBain Northern Michigan Christian (1) (17-0) 71
3. Hillman (1) (18-0) 63
4. New Buffalo (16-1) 53
5. Powers North Central (14-2) 49
5. Rudyard (15-1) 49
7. Ewen-Trout Creek (14-2) 45
8. Munising (13-1) 35
9. Bellevue (13-2) 34
10. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (10-4) 30
Others receiving votes: Onaway 21, Lake Leelanau St Mary 14, Eau Claire 10, Genesee Christian 10, Colon 9, Ellsworth 7, Hillsdale Academy 7, Nah Tah Wahsh 7, Buckley 5, Deckerville 4, Norway 3, Clarkston Everest Catholic 1, Det. University Prep Art & Design 1.
Girls Basketball
Division 1
1. West Bloomfield (3) (15-1) 73
2. Hudsonville (2) (16-2) 69
3. Hartland (17-1) 65
4. Midland Dow (17-1) 60
5. Parma Western (17-1) 58
6. Wayne Memorial (17-1) 48
7. Macomb L’Anse Creuse North (19-1) 41
8. Farmington Hills Mercy (14-3) 31
9. Rockford (16-2) 30
(tie) Byron Center (15-2) 30
Others receiving votes: Dearborn Divine Child 17, Bloomfield Hills Marian 16, Dexter 15, Battle Creek Lakeview 14, Grosse Pointe North 14, East Lansing 11, South Lyon East 4, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek 2, St. Clair Shores Lakeview 1, Macomb Dakota 1.
Division 2
1. Detroit Edison (4) (8-3) 74
2. Grand Rapids West Catholic (1) (17-1) 69
3. Redford Westfield Prep (16-1) 65
4. Frankenmuth (16-1) 60
5. Portland (17-1) 50
6. Newaygo (17-1) 49
7. Lansing Catholic (16-1) 46
8. Edwardsburg (18-0) 45
9. Ovid-Elsie (17-0) 35
10. Chelsea (16-2) 29
Others receiving votes: Lake Fenton 22, Houghton 14, Tecumseh 13, Otsego 11, Marine City 4, Detroit Country Day 4, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard 3, Saginaw Swan Valley 3, Romulus 2, Sparta 1, Clawson 1.
Division 3
1. Ypsilanti Arbor Preparatory (4) (15-2) 74
2. Kent City (18-0) 69
3. Maple City Glen Lake (1) (19-0) 67
4. Sandusky (17-0) 56
5. St. Ignace (16-2) 51
6. Brandywine (16-1) 50
7. Madison Heights Bishop Foley (14-1) 40
(tie) Calumet (15-2) 40
9. Schoolcraft (17-1) 29
10. Harbor Springs (17-2) 23
Others receiving votes: Elk Rapids 22, McBain 19, Grass Lake 11, Brooklyn Columbia Central 7, Sanford-Meridian 7, Watervliet 7, Lake City 6, 17, Erie-Mason 6, Bloomingdale 6, Blissfield 4, Jonesville 3, Hart 2, Hartford 1.
Division 4
1. Portland St. Patrick (5) (17-0) 75
2. Plymouth Christian Academy (15-3) 68
3. Fowler (15-3) 64
4. Athens (16-1) 61
5. Carney-Nadeau (15-1) 55
6. Baraga (16-1) 50
7. Saginaw Nouvel (14-3) 38
8. Posen (12-1) 35
(tie) Pickford (14-2) 35
10. Gaylord St. Mary (17-2) 31
Others receiving votes: Adrian Lenawee Christian 21, Pittsford 18, Mackinaw City 10, Mendon 10, Lake Leelanau St. Mary 10, Munising 4, McBain Northern Michigan Christian 4, Rudyard 4, Ewen-Trout Creek 3, Coleman 2, Colon 1, Frankfort 1.
