WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump met by phone with many U.S. pro sports leaders Saturday to discuss how that industry has been affected by the global coronavirus pandemic. Trump says he was looking forward to the resumption of competitions “as soon as we can,” adding that he wants fans back in the arenas. A person with direct knowledge of what was discussed on the call says Trump believes the NFL season scheduled to begin Sept. 10 will start on time with fans in seats.

UNDATED (AP) — The Spanish league and players are still far apart on the size of the salary cuts, while English Premier League soccer players have rejected a move by clubs to cut their wages by 30% during the coronavirus pandemic. The Spanish league is trying to reduce the financial impact caused by the outbreak, but players say the organization wants them to carry nearly half the total losses. The stance from British players followed talks involving clubs and the leagues.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Kobe Bryant and fellow NBA greats Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett headline a nine-person group announced Saturday of this year’s class of enshrinees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. They got into the Hall in their first year of eligibility, as did WNBA great Tamika Catchings. Two-time NBA champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich (tahm-JAHN’-oh-vich), longtime Baylor women’s coach Kim Mulkey, 1,000-game winner Barbara Stevens of Bentley and three-time Final Four coach Eddie Sutton were also selected.

UNDATED (AP) — Australian V8 SuperCars champion Scott McLaughlin has won IndyCar’s second virtual race. McLaughlin and NASCAR’s seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson were invited guests by IndyCar to participate in the iRacing Series meant to entertain fans during the stoppage due to the coronavirus. He beat Team Penske teammate and fellow Aussie Will Power in Saturday’s race from virtual Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.

Warning from NFL medical officer

UNDATED (AP) — Days after the NFL revealed its hopes of conducting a normal regular season and playoffs, its chief medical officer is warning that nothing is a certainty during the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Allen Sills, a neurosurgeon who has been with the NFL since 2017, says he and other league and team medical personnel have been in constant communication with health officials throughout the country, looking at the same data they are using to make public recommendations. The NFL also has consulted with the other major sports leagues and the players’ union.

In other developments related to the pandemic:
— The Preakness is looking for a new date for the Triple Crown race normally held on the third Saturday in May. The owners of Pimlico Race Course and the Maryland Jockey Club have also decided to cancel the infield party on race day. The Preakness usually draws more than 100,000 fans, most of whom gather on the infield. The Kentucky Derby was previously postponed from May 2 to Sept. 5.
—The U.S. Tennis Association says it’s best not to play the sport right now because of the coronavirus pandemic. The USTA called it “in the best interest of society to take a collective pause” from tennis. The statement from the organization that runs the U.S. Open Grand Slam tournament said there is “the possibility” that the virus could be transferred among people via sharing and touching of tennis balls, net posts, court surfaces, benches or gate handles.
— The U.S. Women’s Open is moving from the end of spring to the middle of December. The USGA says the Women’s Open at Champions Golf Club in Houston is moving from June 4-7 to Dec. 10-13. The LPGA has also postponed or canceled the next five events on its schedule. All but the Pure Silk Championship are getting new dates later in the year.
— The WNBA has postponed the start of its season because of the coronavirus pandemic. The league was set to open training camps on April 26 and the regular season was to begin on May 15. The WNBA will still hold a “virtual” draft on April 17. Two WNBA cities are major hot spots for the virus: New York and Seattle. The WNBA, which was set to begin its 24th season, is the longest running professional women’s sports league.
— The Ottawa Senators are making temporary layoffs and salary reductions because of COVID-19. The team’s parent company says the full-time workforce will be reduced starting Sunday, when the NHL club’s season was originally scheduled to end. Those not laid off could be placed on furlough. Others could have their salaries reduced. Health benefits will continue uninterrupted.
— Anaheim Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli say they will pay their 2,100 part-time employees across all of their sports and event management companies through June 30 for work that was wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic. The Samuelis’ Anaheim Arena Management company operates Honda Center, the Ducks’ home rink. They also own two lice hockey complexes in Orange County.
— Major League Soccer has extended its training moratorium through April 24 because of the coronavirus outbreak. Team facilities are closed to players and staff — except for players requiring treatment that cannot be administered at their homes. Players are expected to remain in market with their teams during the moratorium to avoid the spread of the virus.
— The under-construction Athletes Village for the Tokyo Olympics could be used as a temporary hospital for coronavirus patients. Tokyo’s governor has been talking about the possibility of occupying the massive development on Tokyo Bay, which is to house up to 11,000 Olympic and 4,400 Paralympic athletes and staff during the games.
— Former marathon world record holder Wilson Kipsang was among 20 people arrested in Kenya for locking themselves in a bar and drinking alcohol in breach of a curfew imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Police say the 2012 Olympic bronze medalist was among those detained at a police station in Iten, one of Kenya’s famous high-altitude towns where distance runners train.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina State’s NCAA case involving recruiting violations tied to former Wolfpack one-and-done star Dennis Smith Jr. has been recommended to go through an independent investigation process created for complex cases.
The process includes independent investigators and decision-makers with no direct ties to NCAA member schools, and rulings cannot be appealed.
The NCAA has alleged ex-assistant Orlando Early provided Smith and his associates approximately $46,700 in impermissible benefits – including $40,000 that a government witness testified he delivered to Early intended for Smith’s family in 2015.

Basketball Hall of Fame set to announce 2020 class
UNDATED (AP) — A unique Hall of Fame class will be announced Saturday in a unique way.
Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett are all expected to be officially announced as part of the 2020 class of enshrinees by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The selections are typically revealed at college basketball’s Final Four. But with sports shut down because of the global coronavirus pandemic, the announcement will be televised from ESPN’s studios in Bristol, Connecticut.
Bryant, Duncan and Garnett, with a combined 11 championships and 48 All-Star seasons between them, are all first-time finalists and locks to be in this class. There are five additional finalists alongside Bryant, Duncan and Garnett: Tamika Catchings, Rudy Tomjanovich, Eddie Sutton, Barbara Stevens and Kim Mulkey.

Lions agree to deal with CB Darryl Roberts
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions have agreed to terms with free agent cornerback Darryl Roberts. Roberts spent the past four seasons with the New York Jets.
Roberts has started 10 games in each of the past two seasons. The Lions also acquired cornerback Desmond Trufant this offseason.
In other NFL news:
—The lawyer representing retired NFL players alleges the players’ union stonewalled his clients when confronted with questions whether their Social Security disability payments would be affected before the labor agreement was narrowly ratified last month. Attorney Ben Meiselas told the AP that email exchanges between his clients and the NFLPA show the union refusing to provide responses to direct questions regarding the status of their disability benefits before and after the CBA was presented to its players for a vote on March 5.
—The NFC champion San Francisco 49ers have signed two ninth-year pros to one-year deals in free agency. One of them is Travis Benjamin. He’s a wide receiver and punt returner who played the last four seasons with the Chargers. The Niners also signed offensive lineman Tom Compton, who was with the Jets last season.
The Chicago Bears declared the quarterback competition between Mitchell Trubisky and newcomer Nick Foles. General manager Ryan Pace says both players are “embracing” the battle that will play out whenever offseason workouts begin.

Hacker posts racial slur on fan chat with black NHL player
NEW YORK (AP) — A hacker posted a racial slur 45 times in an online fan video chat Friday with a black New York Rangers prospect.
The NHL team scrambled to disable the hacker it called “a vile individual” on the Zoom chat with K’Andre Miller, the 20-year-old former Wisconsin defenseman drafted No. 22 overall in 2018. Miller recently signed with the Rangers after completing his sophomore season at Wisconsin. The 6-foot-5 defender is from St. Paul, Minnesota.

Federal judge tosses fan lawsuit vs. MLB, Astros, Red Sox
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by fantasy sports contestants who claimed they were damaged by sign stealing in Major League Baseball.
Five men had sued MLB, MLB Advanced Media, the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox in federal court in Manhattan, claiming fraud, violation of consumer-protection laws, negligence, unjust enrichment and deceptive trade practices by teams that violated MLB’s rules against the use of electronics to steal catchers’ signs. The five participated in fantasy contests hosted by DraftKings from 2017-19.
Judge Jed S. Rakoff wrote that the lawsuit had no legal basis.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs and wide receiver Sammy Watkins have agreed on a restructured one-year contract that gives the franchise much-needed salary cap relief. That’s according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke with The Associated Press on Friday. The person said Watkins will make $9 million in base salary but that incentives could drive the total package to $16 million. More important for the club, the deal will give the Chiefs about $5 million in salary cap savings ahead of the NFL draft.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Cordell Pemsl is leaving Iowa to play his final season at another school as a graduate transfer. The 6-foot-8, 248-pound forward from Dubuque averaged six points and just over four rebounds per game in 96 games. Pemsl had three major surgeries over the last six years and was a reserve exclusively after starting 14 games as a freshman. He thanked his teammates, coaches, school and fans for a memorable four years.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds order that extended the state of Iowa schools to remain closed until at least April 30^th due to the coronavirus pandemic is now putting the high school spring sports seasons in serious jeopardy.

Illinois and Wisconsin spring seasons are also in doubt with both those states currently under shelter in place orders.  Right now Illinois schools are also closed until at least April 30th while Wisconsin schools are closed through at least April 24th.  The Illinois High School Association says its board of directors has been highly supportive of allowing spring sports seasons to extend through the month of June.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior Kathleen Doyle has been named to the WBCA All-America team, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced Thursday.

Doyle is one of 10 players to be named a WBCA All-American, becoming the fourth Hawkeye in program history to earn the honor.

UNDATED (AP) — British Open organizers say postponement is an option for this year’s tournament at Royal St. George’s. The 149th edition of the Open Championship is scheduled to take place July 16-19. The last time the Open wasn’t played was in 1945 because of World War II. The R&A released a short statement in response to media speculation about the staging of the event. Chief executive Martin Slumbers says the “process is taking some time to resolve” because of a range of external factors.

UNDATED (AP) — The Senior PGA Championship in Michigan has been canceled. The PGA of America says it based its decision on Michigan’s stay-at-home order that was enacted March 23. The Senior PGA in Benton Harbor, Michigan, was to be played May 21-24. It will be held next year at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It will return to Benton Harbor the following year.

BOSTON (AP) — The New England Patriots’ private team plane returned to Boston from China carrying more than one million masks critical to health care providers fighting to control the spread of the coronavirus. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker secured the N95 masks but had no way of getting them to the U.S. Team owner Robert Kraft stepped in and offered the plane. Kraft Sports and Entertainment chief operating officer Jim Nolan said in an interview on Patriots.com radio that the Chinese government didn’t officially sign off on the trip until March 27.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State star Kaleb Wesson has announced in a tweet that he would forego his final year of eligibility and declare for the NBA draft. Analysts have projected him as a second-round pick. Wesson can sign with an agent for exploratory purposes and still protect his final year of eligibility. He has until June 3 to make a decision. Wesson averaged 14 points and 9.3 rebounds in leading Ohio State to a 21-10 record and 11-9 in the Big Ten Conference.

UNDATED (AP) — Former baseball All-Star Jim Edmonds says he tested positive for the new coronavirus and for pneumonia. Edmonds says in a video posted on Instagram that he is symptom free now and doing “really well.” He thanked people for their well wishes. The 49-year-old played 17 major league seasons from 1993-2010, mostly for the California and Los Angeles Angels and St. Louis Cardinals. He hit 393 home runs.

CHICAGO — Longtime Chicago White Sox broadcaster and Sox player Ed Farmer passed away Wednesday night according to the team. He was 70 years old.

Farmer broadcast one White Sox Cactus League contest in late February before returning home due to health reasons. This season would have been his 29th full one in the booth, 15th as the radio play-by-play voice.

Famer’s playing career ran from 1971-83, pitching for the Phillies, White Sox, Indians, A’s, Rangers, Tigers, Orioles and Brewers, producing 75 saves over 370 games. He pitched for the Soxs from 1979-81, having an all-star season in 1980.

More information: https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/ed-farmer-dies-at-70

Iowa State coaches and other athletic department staff members are getting pay cuts for one year to help offset lost revenue from the coronavirus pandemic.

Athletic director Jaime Pollard wrote on the Cyclones’ website that his department faces a $5 million shortfall this year because of the cancellation of the NCAA and Big 12 men’s basketball tournaments.

The payroll cut will save more than $3 million. There also will be a temporary suspension of bonuses for coaches totaling another $1 million.

Previously announced increases in Cyclone Club annual giving levels have been delayed, prices for season and individual game ticket prices have been frozen for all sports and the deadline for booster club donations and football season ticket renewals has been extended to May 29.

LOS ANGELES (AP) Iowas’ Luka Garza is one of the five finalists for the John R. Wooden Award as the nation’s top college basketball player. The 44th annual award will be presented on Tuesday, April 7.

Joining Garza as finalists are Udoka Azubuike of Kansas,  Markus Howard of Marquette, Myles Powell of Seton Hall and Obi Toppin of Dayton.

Voting took place from March 16 to March 23 but couldn’t include performances during the NCAA Tournament, which was canceled.

Garza was also named to the John Wooden Award All-American Team, the first player for Iowa men’s basketball to earn that recognition.

The recruiting dead period has been extended in all NCAA Division I and II sports through May 31. Recruiting was shut down on March 13, not long after the cancellation of all winter and spring sports because of the new coronavirus outbreak. The original suspension was through April 15. A dead period prohibits in-person visits by recruits and coaches, but electronic communication is still permissible.

— The Chicago Bears finalized a five-year, $70 million contract with former All-Pro pass rusher Robert Quinn and a one-year deal with former Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Germain Ifedi. The Bears were looking to boost their pass rush and blocking coming off a disappointing year. Quinn had 11 1/2 sacks last year following a trade to Dallas from Miami despite a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy against performance enhancers.

— The Panthers have officially signed free agent wide receiver Robby Anderson to a two-year contract. A person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press the deal is worth $20 million. The 26-year-old Anderson finished with 52 catches for 779 yards and five touchdowns for the Jets last season.

-The Dallas Cowboys have signed suspended defensive end Aldon Smith, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal. The 30-year-old Smith has been out of the NFL since receiving a one-year ban in November 2015 while playing for Oakland.

— The Patriots have released quarterback Cody Kessler who spent time on New England’s practice squad last season.

UNDATED (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic has knocked two major events off the British sports schedule. Wimbledon officials have announced that the tournament has been canceled for the first time for any reason other than a war. Major League Baseball has canceled a two-game series in London between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals because of the pandemic.

NEW YORK (AP) — Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks is no longer ruling out Kevin Durant for the season after repeatedly saying he didn’t expect his All-Star forward to return before the next training camp. Marks acknowledged yesterday that everything is unknown now that the season is suspended because of the new coronavirus. Durant underwent Achilles tendon surgery and was expected to be out up to 12 months after getting hurt during the NBA Finals.

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington freshman Isaiah Stewart has declared for the NBA draft after serving as one of the few bright spots for an underachieving Huskies team. The bruising, 6-foot-9 forward was named to the all-Pac-12 first team after averaging 16.6 points and 8.7 rebounds in the regular season. Stewart also blocked 65 shots and averaged a team-high 32 minutes per game.

UNDATED (AP) — IndyCar’s virtual racing will be televised beginning with Saturday’s iRacing event, which has been picked up by NBC Sports. The debut virtual race last weekend drew 433,000 combined viewers to both IndyCar and iRacing’s online stream. Totals viewers jumped to 600,000 when IndyCar tallied how many watched drivers’ social media feeds or gaming channels. NASCAR has done well in its virtual racing series, setting records for viewership the last two weeks.

UNDATED (AP) — A diversity report for graduation rates among potential NCAA Tournament teams found a larger gap between white and black men’s players from the previous year. Scores for both groups were higher, though gains by white players outpaced those of black players to create the larger gap. The report was created by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida and also shows male players continue to lag behind their female counterparts overall.

Four members of Clarke’s University’s men’s volleyball team have landed spots on the 2020 Heart of America Athletic Conference All-Conference team.

Nick Ramos earned second-team all-conference honors, while Damien Higashi, Mike Jenkins and Stephen Lewandowski were cited as honorable mention all-conference performers.

——

The Loras College men’s volleyball team landed two student-athletes on the inaugural College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) All-Conference team with freshman Dorian Fiorenza earning First Team honors and junior Andres Martinez named to the Second Team.

UNDATED (AP) — NFL owners are continuing to plan for the 2020 season to begin on time. But they’ve adopted changes in how the season will end. They voted to modify the playoff format with two additional wild-card teams in the Super Bowl chase. The playoffs will be expanded by one team in each conference for a total of 14. The 16-game season and full playoffs would include the two stadiums still under construction in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, plus international games in England and Mexico.

LAKE FOREST, Ill (AP) — The Chicago Bears have finalized a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars for 2018 Super Bowl MVP quarterback Nick Foles. The Bears are hoping Foles will return to form following an injury-riddled season with Jacksonville. Foles would give them another option if Mitchell Trubisky struggles again or gets hurt next year. The Jaguars parted with the 31-year-old Foles just over a year after signing him to a four-year contract. Foles helped Philadelphia win a Super Bowl.

SAN JOSE, Calif (AP) —San Jose Sharks President Jonathan Becher says the team made the best decision with the information at the time when it played three home games following a recommendation by the county against large gatherings in early March. Santa Clara County issued a recommendation on March 5 that mass gatherings should be postponed or canceled to control the spread of the new coronavirus.

UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA’s popular decision to extend spring sports athletes’ eligibility a year because of the coronavirus pandemic is causing consternation for baseball coaches. Baseball is the only spring sport with a roster limit. Teams can have no more than 35 players, though that rule will be relaxed in 2021. The problem comes in 2022. Looming roster logjams because of the extended eligibility could force coaches to sign smaller recruiting classes and nudge underperforming players to transfer or quit.

UNDATED (AP) — They can’t face off on the hardwood right now, so Kevin Durant and Trae Young will lead a 16-player field of NBA players in an NBA 2K20 tournament airing on ESPN. The NBA, the players’ association and 2K have announced the NBA 2K Players Tournament. Play begins Friday, and the winner of the week-long competition will receive a $100,000 donation to a coronavirus-related relief effort of their choice.

As the calendar turns to April the question being asked by high school athletes, coaches, and administrators is when or will Iowa high school spring sports be able get going. Yesterday, the athletic directors with the Mississippi Valley Conference had a video meeting with administrators for the Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union to discuss the status in the wake of COVID-19.

Dubuque Senior High Athletic Director Brent Cook says the IHSAA and IGHSAU are all committed to having some type of season if possible for track and field, soccer, tennis, golf, baseball and softball and have many “WHAT IF” scenarios ranging from shortened seasons, to seasons extending into the summer, and to no season at all.

Cook says with social distancing guidelines in place coaches are doing their best to stay in touch with their athletes to keep them prepared for when they can return such as communicating through social media or phone calls.

Right now schools in Iowa are closed through April 12th, but Cook admits that date is likely to change which would directly affect when sports can resume.

UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA will permit spring sport athletes who had their seasons shortened by the coronavirus outbreak to have an additional year of eligibility.

The NCAA Division I Council has voted to give college athletes who compete in spring sports such as baseball, softball and lacrosse a way to get back the season they lost. However, the council did not guarantee financial aid. Winter sports were not included in the decision.

The amount of scholarship money available to each athlete will be determined by the athlete’s school. Roster limits will be adjusted to fit returning athletes along with incoming freshman.

MACOMB, Ill. (AP) — U-W Platteville alumni Rob Jeter has been hired as the head men’s basketball coach at Western Illinois. He spent the last two seasons as an assistant at Minnesota. Jeter has coached for 25 years, with seven NCAA Tournament appearances. Two of those came during his 11-season tenure as head coach from 2005-16 at Milwaukee. Jeter has also had stints as an assistant at UNLV, Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Marquette and Wisconsin-Platteville, his alma mater. Jeter replaces Bill Wright, who went 53-115 in six seasons running the Leathernecks.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Spencer Lee of Iowa is the winner of the Dan Hodge Trophy as the most dominant college wrestler in the nation. Lee was 18-0, won his first Big Ten championship and was named conference wrestler of the year. He outscored opponents 234-18 in the 125-pound weight class. The Hodge Trophy is considered the top award in college wrestling.

Luka Garza Named Pete Newell Big Man of the Year

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa junior center Luka Garza had to make some more room in his personal trophy case today. Garza was named the recipient of the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year Award given to the country’s top post player by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He is the first Hawkeye to win the award and the fifth Big Ten player to earn the honor.

Last week, it was announced that Garza was a unanimous consensus first-team All-American. Garza is also a finalist for the Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award.

Dayton’s Obi Toppin claimed the NABC Player of the Year Award.

TOKYO (AP) — The Tokyo Olympics will open next year in the same time slot scheduled for this year’s games. Tokyo organizers say the opening ceremony will take place on July 23, 2021. That is almost exactly one year after the games were due to start this year. The IOC and Japanese organizers last week postponed the Olympics until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s games were scheduled to open on July 24 and close on Aug. 9. But the near exact one-year delay will see the rescheduled closing ceremony on Aug. 8.

UNDATED (AP) — Tokyo Olympic organizers seem to be leaning away from starting the rescheduled games in the spring of 2021. More and more the signs point toward the summer of 2021.

Organizing committee President Yoshiro Mori suggested there would be no major change from 2020.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach had left open the possibility of spring dates after announcing Tuesday that the Tokyo Games would be postponed.

The postponed games were to have opened on July 24 and closed on Aug. 9. Mori suggested some decisions could be made as early as this week when the organizing committee’s executive board meets.

In other news related to the coronavirus pandemic:

— A second Colorado Avalanche player has tested positive for COVID-19. The team says it was informed Friday night, and the unidentified player is in self-isolation. A statement from the Avalanche on Saturday says those who came in close contact with the player have been informed and remain isolated. The team says no other Avalanche player or staff member has shown symptoms at this time. There are now four NHL players known to have tested positive — two with Colorado and two with Ottawa.

— The executive chairman of Madison Square Garden Company and owner of the New York Knicks has tested positive for the coronavirus. The Knicks announced James Dolan’s diagnosis Saturday night, saying he has been in self-isolation and is experiencing little to no symptoms. Dolan is the first U.S. major pro sports owner known to have tested positive for the virus.

—Former All-Star outfielder Jim Edmonds announced on his Instagram page that he went to the hospital to be tested for the coronavirus after displaying some symptoms. The 49-year-old Edmonds sent a video update Saturday night on his Instagram Story saying he was back home after testing positive for pneumonia for the first time in his life, but was awaiting results of tests for the coronavirus.

— A deal worked out between Major League Baseball and the players doesn’t include details of what a reconfigured schedule would look like. The agreement calls for play to resume “as soon as is practicable” with a goal of completing “the fullest 2020 championship season and postseason that is economically feasible.” It also says there must be no legal restrictions on mass gathering and travel. The two sides agreed to consider playing past the usual end of the postseason in late October, even if it involves using neutral sites and domes. Details were divulged to The Associated Press by people familiar with the agreement.

UNDATED (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have re-signed veteran guard Dakota Dozier. The Furman product played in 16 games last season with a career-high four starts. He originally joined Minnesota as a free agent last April. Dozier was drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He has appeared in 54 career games with 11 starts.

NEW YORK (AP) — St. John’s wing LJ Figueroa has declared for the NBA draft. School officials say he hasn’t hired an agent and still has the option to return to school. Figueroa can return to school for his final season of eligibility if he withdraws from the draft pool by June 3. Figueroa started 32 games in each of his two seasons with the Red Storm, averaging 14.5 points and 5.4 rebounds.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Head coach Shaka Smart is getting another season to elevate the Texas men’s basketball program. Longhorns athletic director Chris Del Conte has confirmed that Smart will be back for a sixth season with the team, telling the Austin American-Statesman, “Shaka’s our coach.” Smart gained national attention by rebuilding VCU’s program, going 163-63 over six years and reaching the NCAA Tournament during his last five seasons at the school. The Rams went to the Final Four in 2011 and never won fewer than 26 games under Smart before he left for Texas in 2015. But the Longhorns have been a heavier lift, reaching the NCAA Tournament twice in four tries. Texas went 19-12 this past season without any seniors in the lineup. But the team is just 40-50 in the Big 12 under Smart, who is 90-78 overall with the Longhorns.

Update on the latest sports.

UNDATED (AP) — The final pitch of the 2020 baseball season could be thrown closer to Christmas than Halloween. Major League Baseball owners ratified a 17-page agreement with the union that provides for $170 million in salary advances and guarantees service time to players even if no games are played due to the new coronavirus.  The season was to start Thursday and Game 7 of the World Series was on track to be Oct. 28. Union head Tony Clark says big leaguers would play as long as they could to get in as many games as possible.

—Olympic officials have confirmed that the 6,200 or so athletes who had already punched their ticket for the Tokyo Olympics will keep their spots for the rescheduled games in 2021. It resolves one of the key questions for marathoners, open-water swimmers and hundreds of other athletes whose qualifying process came early in the 2020 sports calendar, before the coronavirus started shutting down sports across the globe. Still to be determined is how the rest of the spots at the rescheduled games will be allocated. Typically, the individual sports determine their qualifying procedures.

— The NCAA Division I Council is scheduled to vote on Monday whether to provide another year of eligibility to spring sport athletes. That includes sports such as baseball, softball and lacrosse. Those players had their seasons wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic. Providing similar relief to winter sport athletes, such as basketball and hockey players and wrestlers, will also be considered although there does not appear to be support for that.

— Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens says guard Marcus Smart is doing well and remains in good spirits following his positive test for coronavirus last week. Smart announced his diagnosis on March 19, seven days after Utah Jazz All-Stars Rudy Gobert (goh-BEHR’) and Donovan Mitchell tested positive for COVID-19. Boston played the Utah Jazz on March 6. Other Celtics players and staff were also tested as a precaution and those tests have all come back negative.

— ESPN NBA broadcaster Doris Burke has tested positive for the coronavirus. Burke made the announcement Friday on an ESPN podcast. Burke says she started feeling extreme fatigue on March 11, the day the NBA was shut down once it was learned that Utah center Rudy Gobert had tested positive. Burke was assigned the Denver-Dallas game on that date and fought through her symptoms to work that night. She said she had a three-day period of such deep fatigue that she couldn’t remain out of bed for more than five minutes at a time. She was eventually tested and received the results on Wednesday.

— Santa Anita has stopped live racing because of the coronavirus after receiving instructions from the Los Angeles County Health Department. The track in Arcadia, California, was preparing to run eight races when the cancellation was announced. It’s not immediately known when racing will be allowed to resume. The Santa Anita Derby won’t be run on April 4 as scheduled. It’s the major West Coast prep for the Kentucky Derby, which itself has been pushed back from May 2 to Sept. 5.

— Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson has joined the field for IndyCar’s inaugural online race as he contemplates driving in that series following his retirement from full-time stock car racing. IndyCar has followed NASCAR, IMSA and Formula One in setting up a virtual racing series to give fans content during the coronavirus pandemic that brought sports to a halt. IndyCar’s first race is Saturday and Johnson is the 26th driver to enter.

— Commissioner Roger Goodell has told NFL teams that the draft will go on as originally scheduled next month. In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, Goodell said the draft will still take place April 23-25, but will be scaled down and “televised in a way that reflects current conditions.” It was originally planned as a big outdoor production in Las Vegas, but those plans were scrapped because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teams were told to plan “to conduct draft operations in a location outside of your facility, with a limited number of people present, and with sufficient technology resources to allow you to communicate internally, with other clubs, and with draft headquarters.”

— The Evian Masters women’s golf tournament has been moved to August because of the coronavirus outbreak. The event originally scheduled for July 23-26 will now be held on Aug. 6-9 at the Evian Resort Golf Club. Evian is one of the five majors on the women’s circuit. The decision was made by the LPGA Tour, the Ladies European Tour and Evian organizers.

— The Russian anti-doping agency is suspending all tests for 10 days in response to measures implemented by the government to fight the coronavirus. The move comes after President Vladimir Putin told Russians except those working in essential sectors to stay home next week. Tests stopped today and will resume on April 6.

— Top-ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich), his wife and their foundation are donating about $1.1 million, to help buy ventilators and other medical equipment for hospitals in Serbia. Djokovic says his foundation’s staff “will be monitoring everything” to get the equipment in place.

— Athletic trainers across the country are changing their routines and joining the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The National Athletic Trainers Association put together an app aimed at helping trainers assist understaffed hospitals. The app was intended to give health care providers a database to look for help nationwide. More than 950 athletic trainers have signed up over the last week. Christina Eyers generally oversees about 40 trainers in her role as a director of athletic training in Detroit’s Henry Ford Health System. Most of her trainers are assisting medical staffs in and around Detroit, recently cited as a potential trouble spot in the pandemic.

— Ottawa Senators radio color commentator Gord Wilson has tested positive for the coronavirus. Wilson’s wife, CTV Ottawa anchor Patricia Boal, confirmed the news Friday night during a newscast. The 59-year-old Wilson is recovering at home and both he and Boal, who has not tested positive for the coronavirus, have been in self-isolation since March 18. Boal said the diagnosis was confirmed Friday, about 11 days after Wilson was first tested.

NFL-NEWS

UNDATED (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens won’t have Michael Brockers on their retooled defensive line after all, and now he’s headed back to Los Angeles. Baltimore reached agreement on a three-year contract with the Rams free agent last week but the deal was never sealed in part because Brockers could not take a physical at the team’s training facility due to restrictions by the NFL regarding the coronavirus. The Ravens had concerns over a lingering ankle sprain after Brockers had a physical administered by two independent doctors. Baltimore and Brockers ultimately failed to reach an agreement on an amended contract.

— The Dallas Cowboys say they have agreed to deals with kicker Greg Zuerlein and defensive tackle Dontari Poe. The Zuerlein agreement gives Dallas competition at kicker because they’ve also re-signed Kai Forbath. He was last year’s replacement for a shaky Brett Maher. Zuerlein was similar to Maher in being strong from 50-plus yards but struggling on shorter kicks. Zuerlein’s accuracy has tailed off since making a career-best 38 field goals on 40 tries in 2017. A deal with the nearly 350-pound Poe is another sign of the Cowboys seeking bigger defensive tackles under new coach Mike McCarthy.

— Former Chargers running back Melvin Gordon says one of the biggest takeaways from his futile holdout in Los Angeles last year was realizing he still has so many detractors. This despite scoring 49 touchdowns at the University of Wisconsin and another 47 in the NFL. Gordon says he’s driven to prove he’s still an elite running back after scoring nine touchdowns in a dozen games once he ended his holdout last season. Gordon will now be teaming up with fellow Pro Bowl running back Phillip Lindsay in a dynamic Denver Broncos backfield.

— The Detroit Lions have agreed to a contract with linebacker Reggie Ragland, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. Ragland started 32 games over the past three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played 14 games last season for the Super Bowl champions, making seven starts. He had two sacks.

— The Minnesota Vikings re-signed two more of their own free agents, with new contracts for running back Ameer Abdullah and center Brett Jones. Abdullah had 203 yards from scrimmage with one receiving touchdown in a reserve role. Jones joined the Vikings in a trade with the New York Giants in 2018.

— The Las Vegas Raiders have announced the additions of free agent linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, safety Jeff Heath and defensive end Carl Nassib. All three players agreed to deals last week but those weren’t announced until after they all passed physicals. The Raiders also announced that long snapper Trent Sieg has signed his exclusive rights tender.

— Terry Tausch, an All-American offensive lineman at Texas and eight-year NFL veteran who played for the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers, has died. He was 61. The Longhorns announced that Tausch died Wednesday night at his home in Plano, Texas. His older brother, Gary Tausch, told San Antonio TV station KENS that the death was “sudden.” Tausch was a second-round draft pick by the Vikings in 1982, playing seven seasons for them. He was their starting right guard for five years, until joining the 49ers in 1989 in what was his final NFL season. It ended with a Super Bowl ring.

—Stefen Wisniewski’s (wihz-NOO’-skee) nomadic football journey has come full circle. The veteran NFL offensive lineman is now a Pittsburgh Steeler after agreeing to a two-year deal with the club. Wisniewski grew up in Pittsburgh and played on Heinz Field as a high schooler. Wisniewski helped the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl in February. Though the Chiefs expressed interest in bringing him back, Wisniewski says the chance to play for the Steelers was too good to pass up.

NHL-NEWS

UNDTED (AP) — Trevor Zegras has signed a three-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks. Zegras was the ninth overall pick in last year’s NHL draft. The center had 11 goals and 25 assists in 33 games as a freshman at Boston University. He was tied for second among NCAA freshmen in assists and tied for third in points and points per game. Zegras was on the United States team at this year’s World Junior Championship. He was only the second player since 2004 to have nine primary assists in a single tournament.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia junior forward Rayshaun Hammonds says he is entering the NBA draft while protecting his college eligibility. The 6-foot-9, 235-pound Hammonds averaged 12.9 points while leading the Bulldogs with 7.4 rebounds per game. He was second on the team in scoring, behind freshman Anthony Edwards, who also has entered the draft.
While Edwards could be the top pick in the draft, Hammonds’ draft outlook is far less certain. When announcing his plans on his Twitter account on Friday, Hammonds said he is protecting his option to return for his senior season.

— Kentucky reserve guard Johnny Juzang will enter the NCAA transfer portal after one season with the Wildcats. The 6-foot-6 freshman from Los Angeles can transfer to another school without restrictions per NCAA rules. Juzang played well down the stretch for Kentucky, scoring in double figures twice the final nine games. He made 10 of his final 20 3-point shots to finish the season shooting 33% from beyond the arc.

OBIT

CHICAGO (AP) — Les Hunter, a star on Loyola Chicago’s barrier-breaking 1963 NCAA championship team, died Friday. He was 77.  Hunter helped Loyola — with four black starters — break down racial barriers and capture what remains the only NCAA Division I championship for an Illinois school by beating Cincinnati. The 6-foot-7 center from Nashville averaged 17 points and 11.4 rebounds as a junior that season and followed that up by turning in 21.4 and 15.3 as a senior. In an era when freshman did not play with the upperclassmen, Hunter had 1,472 points in three seasons and 1,017 rebounds — second on the school’s career list. He and LaRue Martin are the only Loyola players with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

Hall of Fame Cuba City High School head coach Jerry Petitgoue has been named the Wisconsin Associated Press High School Boys Basketball Coach of the Year after leading the Cubans to an undefeated season and favorites to win the D-4 state title before the season was abruptly ended. Cuba City junior Brayden Dailey garnered 4^th team-honors. Area Honorable Mention all-state recognition went to:

• Cole Crubel, sr., River Ridge
• Carter Lancaster, jr. Darlington
• Brady Olson, sr., Cuba City

————————————-

2019-20 ASSOCIATED PRESS BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-STATE TEAM

Player of the Year — Johnny Davis, sr., La Crosse Central

Coach of the Year — Jerry Petitgoue, Cuba City

FIRST TEAM

Patrick Baldwin Jr., 6-9, jr., Sussex Hamilton (unanimous)

Johnny Davis, 6-5, sr., La Crosse Central (unanimous)

Carter Gilmore, 6-7, sr., Hartland Arrowhead

Tyrese Hunter, 6-1, jr., Racine St. Catherine’s

Jacob Ognacevic, 6-8, sr., Sheboygan Lutheran

SECOND TEAM

Dalton Banks, 6-2, sr., Eau Claire North

David Joplin, 6-7, Jr., Brookfield Central

Max Klesmit, 6-3, sr., Neenah

Isaiah Stewart, 6-0, sr., Madison La Follette

AJ Vukovich, 6-5, sr., East Troy

THIRD TEAM

Jake Buchanan, 6-0, sr., Kimberly

Jordan Davis, 6-4, sr., La Crosse Central

Alex Huibregtse, 6-4, sr., Grafton

Keonte Jones, 6-3, sr., Madison East

Preston Ruedinger, 6-2, jr., Oshkosh Lourdes

FOURTH TEAM

Cole Booth, 6-1, sr., Plymouth

Brayden Dailey, 6-6, jr., Cuba City

Mason Dorn, 6-1, jr., Seymour

Kobe Johnson, 6-3, jr., Glendale Nicolet

Kamari McGee, 6-0 jr., Racine St. Catherine’s

HONORABLE MENTION

Alex Antetokounmpo, sr., Whitefish Bay Dominican; Carson Arenz, sr., Onalaska; Grant Beirne, sr., Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau; Charlie Bender, jr., Lake Mills; Caden Boser, sr., Eau Claire Memorial; Michael Casper, Sr., Merrill; Aidan Clarey, sr., Brookfield Academy; John Bunks, sr., Appleton Xavier; Ryan Claflin, sr., Southern Door; Cole Crubel, sr., River Ridge; Mason Dopirak, jr., Manitowoc Lincoln; Ben Emler, sr., Columbus; Will Fuhrmann, sr., Reedsburg; Logan Geissler, sr., Bay Port; Derek Gray, sr., Madison La Follette; Reed Gunnink, sr., Laconia; Cade Hall, Sr., Mauston; Darius Hannah, sr., Milwaukee Academy of Science; Luke Healy, jr., Hudson; Sam Haese, jr., Wrightstown; Adam Hobson, sr., Stoughton; Logan Jedwabny, sr., Kaukauna; Jordan Johnson, jr., Elkhorn; Zac Johnson, jr., River Falls;

Matthew Kissner, Sr., Pittsville; Mason Kramer, sr., Prairie du Chien; Gabe Krueger, Sr., Wausau East; Carter Lancaster, jr., Darlington; Grant Manke, sr., Bangor; Cade Meyer, jr., Monroe; Quinton Murrell, jr., Milwaukee King; Parker Nielsen, sr., Prescott; Brady Olson, sr., Cuba City; Peyton Rogers-Schmidt, sr., Chippewa Falls; Cameron Palesse, jr., Waukesha West; Brandin Podziemski, jr., St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy; Colin Schaefer, sr., Sun Prairie; Donovan Schwartz, sr., Winnebago Lutheran Academy; Tyrell Stuttley, sr., Onalaska; Kaleim Taylor, sr., Milwaukee Academy of Science; Karter Thomas, sr., Oshkosh West; JaKobe Thompson, jr., Racine Case; Terrance Thompson, sr., La Crosse Central; Casey Verhagen, so., Sheboygan Lutheran; Caleb Williams, Sr., Wild Rose.

UNDATED (AP) — Players have agreed to a deal with Major League Baseball that would preserve service time in the event this season is canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the two sides have left open details of what a configured schedule would look like. As part of the agreement approved by the union Thursday night, players agreed not to challenge giving up their salaries if no games are played, except for $170 million in payments that management will advance in two stages. Player salaries this year are expected to be in the $4 billion range.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis 500 has been postponed until August because of the coronavirus pandemic and won’t run on Memorial Day weekend for the first time since 1946. The race will instead be held Aug. 23, three months later than its May 24 scheduled date. Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles says the series chose the August date to get away from extended delays caused by the coronavirus shutdown.

UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA will distribute $225 million to its Division I members in June. That is $375 million less than had been budgeted this year because the coronavirus outbreak forced the cancellation of the men’s basketball tournament. The NCAA says $50 million will come from its reserve fund. A $270 million event cancellation insurance policy will help pay the rest. March Madness is among the biggest revenue producers for the NCAA and its schools. It was canceled March 19, a week before the first round was scheduled to begin.

UNDATED (AP) — The company that manufactures uniforms for Major League Baseball has suspended production on jerseys and is instead using the polyester mesh fabric to make masks and gowns for hospitals in Pennsylvania and nearby states. Fanatics founder and executive chairman was watching TV last week when he was struck by the idea to turn the 360,000-square foot facility in Easton, Pennsylvania, into a factory for the COVID-19 virus fight. St. Luke’s Hospital in nearby Bethlehem reached out to Fanatics late last week about the possibility of the company manufacturing masks.

UNDATED (AP) — Hockey equipment manufacturer Bauer has shifted from making visors for helmets to medical visors for those fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Bauer faced the possibility of closing its manufacturing plant in Blainville, Quebec, when hockey came to a halt amid the global pandemic. But engineers there instead brainstormed the idea of producing medical shields to help protect people on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19.

UNDATED (AP) — The Harlem Globetrotters say legendary player Fred “Curly” Neal has died at age 77. The dribbling wizard played for the Globetrotters from 1963-85, appearing in more than 6,000 games in 97 countries for the exhibition team known for its combination of comedy and athleticism. Neal became one of five Globetrotters to have his jersey retired when his No. 22 was lifted to the rafters during a special ceremony at Madison Square Garden in 2008.

The Iowa High School Athletic Union has released the 2020 high school football schedules.  One of the highlights on opening night at Dalzell Field on Friday August 28^th will be the annual the city battle between the Hempstead Mustangs and Senior Rams.

Wahlert will be at West Delaware that night to open their season and defending 3-A state champion Western Dubuque will be at Cedar Rapids Xavier.

Other area opening night games will include: Cascade at rival Monticello. Dyersville Beckman will be at Iowa City Regina. Bellevue will open their season on the road at MFL-Mar-Mac.

Complete schedules below:

Dubuque, Hempstead 2020 Schedule:
Aug. 28 — vs. Dubuque, Senior
Sept. 4 — at Iowa City, West
Sept. 11 — at Davenport, Central
Sept. 18 — vs. Davenport, North
Sept. 25 — vs. Linn-Mar, Marion
Oct. 1 — at Davenport, West
Oct. 9 — vs. Prairie, Cedar Rapids
Oct. 16 — at Pleasant Valley
Oct. 23 — vs. Cedar Rapids Jefferson

——–

Dubuque, Senior 2020 Schedule:
Aug. 28 — at Dubuque, Hempstead
Sept. 4 — vs. Linn-Mar, Marion
Sept. 11 — vs. Pleasant Valley
Sept. 18 — at Cedar Rapids, Washington
Sept. 25 — at Muscatine
Oct. 2 — vs. Prairie, Cedar Rapids
Oct. 9 — at Cedar Falls
Oct. 16 — vs. Davenport, North
Oct. 22 — at Davenport, West

Wahlert Catholic 2020 Schedule
Aug. 28 — at West Delaware, Manchester
Sept. 4 — vs. Waterloo, East
Sept. 11 — vs. Waverly-Shell Rock
Sept. 18 — at Decorah
Sept. 25 — vs. Clinton
Oct. 2 — at North Scott, Eldridge
Oct. 9 — at Marion
Oct. 16 — vs. Central DeWitt
Oct. 23 — vs. Assumption, Davenport

——

Western Dubuque 2020 Schedule:
Aug. 28 — at Xavier, Cedar Rapids
Sept. 4 — at Assumption, Davenport
Sept. 11 — vs. Washington
Sept. 18 — vs. North Scott, Eldridge
Sept. 25 — at Charles City
Oct. 2 — vs. Waverly-Shell Rock
Oct. 9 — vs. Waterloo, East
Oct. 16 — at West Delaware, Manchester
Oct. 23 — at Decorah

—–

Beckman Catholic, Dyersville 2020 Schedule:
Aug. 28 — at Regina, Iowa City
Sept. 4 — vs. MFL MarMac
Sept. 11 — vs. Anamosa
Sept. 18 — at Monticello
Sept. 25 — vs. Northeast, Goose Lake
Oct. 2 — at Cascade, Western Dubuque
Oct. 9 — vs. Durant
Oct. 16 — at Wilton
Oct. 23 — vs. West Branch

—–

Cascade 2020 Schedule:
Aug. 28 — at Monticello
Sept. 4 — vs. Maquoketa Valley, Delhi
Sept. 11 — vs. Camanche
Sept. 18 — at Bellevue
Sept. 25 — at West Branch
Oct. 2 — vs. Beckman Catholic, Dyersville
Oct. 9 — vs. Wilton
Oct. 16 — at Northeast, Goose Lake
Oct. 23 — at Durant

—-

Bellevue 2020 Schedule:
Aug. 28 — at MFL MarMac
Sept. 4 — vs. Durant
Sept. 11 — at Northeast, Goose Lake
Sept. 18 — vs. Cascade, Western Dubuque
Sept. 25 — at North Linn, Troy Mills
Oct. 2 — vs. Alburnett
Oct. 9 — at Maquoketa Valley, Delhi
Oct. 16 — at Edgewood-Colesburg
Oct. 23 — vs. East Buchanan, Winthrop

Inspirational Wahlert  High School head boys tennis coach and Dubuque tennis icon Julie Westercamp  passed away yesterday following a long hard fight with cancer.

In her first season as head coach in 2016, the Golden Eagles laid claim to a state record tying 9^th state team championship. The following year she was diagnosed with cancer taking the year off during treatments. Westercamp returned in 2018 to lead Wahlert to another team title establishing the new state record.  Over the past year the cancer returned more aggressively, and eventually doctors determined there was nothing more they could do.

In January, Westercamp received the 2018-19 Iowa Boys Tennis Coach of the Year award.  Over the past 20 years Westercamp was also a tennis instructor at Dubuque Golf and Country Club an Alpine Tennis Club. She also was a Phys-Ed teacher at Western Dubuque from 1981-to-2013.

The Wisconsin Associated Press All-State Girls Basketball Team has been announced. The selections are made from Divisions One through Five.

Platteville senior Sami Martin was named to the 3^rd team and Black Hawk senior Natalie Leuzinger landed 4^th team all-state honors.

Area Honorable Mention selections include:

• Bailey Butler of Black Hawk
• Nicole Johnson of Mineral Point

The Stay at Home order issued yesterday by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers  in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic sets a new date for school closures through April 24^th which directly impacts the Wisconsin High School spring sports calendar. With the announcement by the Governor, the earliest that spring sports could possibly resume competitions in Wisconsin would be May 1st.

Iowa junior center Luka Garza has earned unanimous consensus first-team All-America status as a result of being voted to All-America first team by National Association of Basketball Coaches announced today.

Garza joins former Hawkeyes Murray Wier (1948) and Charles Darling (1952) as consensus first team University of Iowa All-Americans.

Iowa State’s sophomore point guard Tyrese Haliburton will be foregoing the remainder of his college eligibility and entering the NBA Draft. Haliburton concludes his career with the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in school history at 3.00. He ranks 17th in the Cyclone record books with 267 assists and 20th with 108 steals.

Haliburton is projected by some analysts to be a top 10 pick. The 2020 NBA Draft Combine is currently scheduled for May 21-24 in Chicago, though it has not yet been determined if Haliburton will participate. The 2020 NBA Draft is slated to take place June 25 in Brooklyn.

TOKYO (AP) — The International Olympic Committee has taken the unprecedented step of postponing the Summer Games in Tokyo. The IOC said the games “must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020, but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.” The games were slated to begin in July, but it is now the first Olympics to be postponed for any reason. The Olympics were canceled in 1916, 1940 and 1944 due to world wars.

UNDATED (AP) — NASCAR has informed its staff that pay cuts will be imposed across the company until the series returns to racing. NASCAR President Steve Phelps announced the moves in a memo to employees, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press from a person who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. The memo said series executives, including the presidents of NASCAR-owned tracks, will see a 25% reduction in salary. All other employees will have their salary reduced by 20%.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers introduced quarterback Tom Brady during a teleconference Tuesday. The 42-year-old Brady says he plans to be very busy learning the new offensive schemes to be employed by head coach Bruce Arians. The six-time Super bowl champion also stressed that he will be just as dedicated to preparing for this season as he was during his 20 years with the New England Patriots.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have officially released quarterback Cam Newton, just over four years after he was named the NFL’s most valuable player. The move became a mere formality after the Panthers made it clear last week they were moving on from Newton by giving him permission to seek a trade and then agreeing to a contract with free agent QB Teddy Bridgewater. The release frees up $19.1 million in salary cap space for the Panthers, although they will absorb $2 million in dead cap money.

UNDATED (AP) — North Carolina freshman point guard Cole Anthony says he’s delaying any announcements about whether he’ll enter the NBA draft amid the spread of the virus. Considered a likely one-and-done prospect, Anthony averaged 18.5 points for the Tar Heels, though he missed 11 games due to knee surgery and UNC went just 14-19. In a social media post Tuesday, Anthony said his family knows people in his hometown of New York who have been hospitalized and one who has died.

TOKYO (AP) — The Tokyo Olympics have been officially postponed until 2021. The International Olympic Committee along with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and local organizers have decided that the Tokyo Games cannot go ahead as scheduled this year because of the coronavirus outbreak. The IOC says the games will be held “not later than summer 2021” but they will still be called the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The University of Wisconsin Platteville has named a new Athletics Director. Dr. Kristina Navarro has been hired the new director of athletics and assistant chancellor for sports administration. She will begin her position on June 1 overseeing the 16 athletic teams.

Navarro most recently served as the senior associate athletic director for leadership development and strategic partnerships at Rutgers University. She also was an assistant professor of practice at Rutgers.

MORE INFO: https://www.letsgopioneers.com/general/2019-20/releases/20200323od6dbr

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Another All-American honor for Hawkeye junior center Luka Garza. The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) announced its first-team All-America team on Monday, which included Garza.

Garza becomes the first Hawkeye in program history to be voted to the first team since 1957, the first year that the USBWA recognized All-Americans.

Five major news outlets have already named Garza as its national player of the year: He is also a finalist for five national awards.

• Iowa women’s basketball senior Kathleen Doyle has been named an USBWA Third Team All-American. Doyle is the fifth Hawkeye in program history to earn USBWA All-America honors.

The Green Bay Packers are establishing funds that will provide $1.5 million to assist efforts to respond to the coronavirus in Brown County, Wisconsin – which includes Green Bay – and the Milwaukee area.

The $1 million Packers Give Back COVID-19 Community Relief Fund is directed toward Brown County and is being established through the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation. Packers Give Back also is directing $500,000 to support initiatives in the Milwaukee area.

Packers officials said the organization will consult with the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation and community partners in Milwaukee to evaluate the needs in each area and determine where the funds will be directed.

DENVER (AP) — USA Gymnastics says a majority of senior national team members have indicated in an anonymous survey that they were in favor of the Tokyo Olympics being pushed back from its scheduled July opening. USA Gymnastics President Li Li Leung says the organization would not specify how long of a delay it is asking for but added that most respondents were pushing for a year. USA Swimming and USA Track and Field also have called for a postponement to the games while the International Olympics Committee considers postponing the Summer Games because of the coronavirus pandemic.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia has backed the International Olympic Committee’s approach of taking time to consider postponing the Tokyo Games and condemned the body’s critics. The IOC says it will make a decision within four weeks and the Russian Olympic Committee endorsed that plan by calling for “complete support.” The ROC says “we view as unacceptable any attempts to bring pressure on the organizations in charge responsible of staging the games and to force them to take rash decisions.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Brian Hoyer is now in the running to become Tom Brady’s replacement after accepting a one-year contract with the New England Patriots. The 34-year-old twice served as Brady’s backup and will compete with Jarrett Stidham and Cody Kessler for the starting job. Hoyer played four games and had one start with Indianapolis last season, completing 54% of his passes for 372 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Redskins have acquired Kyle Allen from the Carolina Panthers for a fifth-round pick and traded cornerback Quinton Dunbar to the Seattle Seahawks for a fifth-round pick. That’s according to a person with knowledge of the moves. Allen was 5-7 as the Panthers’ starter last season, completing 62% of his passes for 3,322 yards, 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He will complete with second-year pro Dwayne Haskins for the starting job and is reunited with Washington head coach Ron Rivera, who was Allen’s coach last season.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — Southeast Missouri has hired Kansas State assistant Brad Korn as its new basketball coach. Korn had spent the past five seasons with the Wildcats, the past four as an assistant coach. He helped the school to three NCAA Tournament appearances and a share of the Big 12 regular-season two years ago. Korn takes over for Rick Ray, who was fired after going 51-104 in five years with the team and was 7-24 this past season.

Over the weekend the University of Dubuque named a new head women’s basketball coach.  U-D Assistant coach Justin Smith was named the new head women’s coach, replacing Mark Noll who left the university after 13 seasons,  to pursue other opportunities. Smith served as assistant for three seasons, prior to that serving as the head girls basketball coach at Hempstead High School.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The International Olympic Committee now says it will consider the possibility of postponing the Tokyo Olympics. The IOC says it will hold four weeks of discussions with global sports officials and Japanese authorities to examine the options. It says “scenario planning” will include the possibility of changing the July 24 start date for the Games, but that “cancellation is not on the agenda.” The IOC has been insisting the Games would go on as scheduled, even as athlete training, qualifying events and preparations for the Games have been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

TORONTO (AP) — The Canadian Olympic Committee has announced it will not send a team to the Tokyo Games unless they are postponed for a year. Canada is the first country to threaten such a move in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, but the committee says it was willing to help the IOC search for alternatives. However, it feels it was not safe for athletes, “their families and the broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training for these Games.”

UNDATED (AP) — Two-time Olympic gold medalist Seb Coe has sent a letter to IOC president Thomas Bach stating that holding the Summer Games this July “is neither feasible nor desirable” with the coronavirus impacting huge swaths of the globe. Coe is a two-time Olympic track champion in the men’s 1,500 and president of the International Association of Athletics Federations. He sent the letter after meeting with leaders from around the world in track, which is the biggest sport at the Olympics.

LONDON (AP) — Leading golf instructor Pete Cowen tells The Daily Telegraph in Britain he has all the symptoms of the new coronavirus. Cowen says he has told all his players to follow health and government guidelines on COVID-19. Cowen works with Henrik Stenson, Brooks Koepka , Gary Woodland and Graeme McDowell, among many others.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Racing barefoot, three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin beat Dale Earnhardt Jr. off the final corner to win a NASCAR iRacing event at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway. Damaged cars were repaired with the push of a button, among a few virtual signs that NASCAR backed quite an unreal race. NASCAR eased off the brake in the real sports world brought to a sudden halt by the coronavirus and introduced the country to iRacing with some of the sport’s biggest stars.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Wells Bayou took an early lead and held off Ny Traffic to win the $1 million Louisiana Derby by a head. The qualifying points race for the Kentucky Derby was one of the few U.S. sporting events to continue as scheduled amid the coronavirus pandemic. It was run in front of an empty clubhouse and grandstand at Fair Ground Race Course because of crowd restrictions related to the virus. Trained by Brad Cox and with jockey Florent Geroux aboard, Wells Bayou earned 100 points toward qualification for the Kentucky Derby, which has been delayed until early September.

UNDATED (AP) — Calls for the postponement of the upcoming Tokyo Olympics continue to grow louder. A worldwide group representing Olympic hopefuls is calling on the IOC to postpone the Tokyo Olympics until the coronavirus pandemic is under control. In a news release Sunday, Global Athlete said: “As the world unites to limit the spread of Covid-19 virus, the IOC … must do the same.” The show of solidarity among Olympic hopefuls adds to the dozens of individual athletes who have come out against the IOC’s current stance, which is to start the games as scheduled on July 24. The leader of track’s international federation says there’s no need to hold the Tokyo Olympics at any cost, adding that a decision about the future of the games “may become very obvious very quickly in the coming days and weeks.” World Athletics president Seb Coe said the Olympic world is managing the coronavirus day by day and “increasingly hour by hour.”

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears and cornerback Artie Burns have agreed to a one-year contract, agent Drew Rosenhaus said. Drafted out of Miami by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the No. 25 pick in 2016, Burns played in all 16 games each of his first three years before falling out of the rotation in 2019. He had three interceptions as a rookie, but played in just 10 games last season. The Bears had an opening after waiving cornerback Prince Amukamara last month. Chicago went 8-8 last season and missed the playoffs after winning the NFC North at 12-4 in 2018.

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Jets continued to address their offensive line in free agency. Two people with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press that the Jets and former Carolina Panthers guard Greg Van Roten have agreed to terms on a three-year contract. That came a few hours after agent Brett Tessler announced the Jets agreed to terms with veteran offensive lineman Josh Andrews. New York also released cornerback Darryl Roberts after four seasons. Another person with direct knowledge of the deal said New York and former Los Angeles Rams safety Marqui Christian agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth up to $2 million.

LENEXA, Kansas (AP) — John Erickson, a former Milwaukee Bucks general manager and Wisconsin men’s basketball coach, has died. He was 92. Erickson served as the Bucks’ general manager from 1968-70. He was in that role when the Bucks won a coin flip with the Phoenix Suns and earned the right to select Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with the first pick in the 1969 NBA draft. Abdul-Jabbar was known as Lew Alcindor at the time. Erickson coached Wisconsin from 1960-68 and posted a 100-114 record. He also had an unsuccessful U.S. Senate run and was president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Update on the latest sports.

UNDATED (AP) — Six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady has signed a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, saying he is embarking on a “new football journey.” The 42-year-old quarterback who spent the first 20 years of his career with the New England Patriots announced his decision Friday in an Instagram post and thanked the Bucs for the opportunity.
The deal guarantees $50 million and includes a $10 million signing bonus and $15 million salary for 2020. The signing comes three days after Brady announced on social media that he would not return to New England, ending his historic run with the Patriots. He joins an offense that led the NFL in passing yards last season. The aerial attack features a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, along with tight ends O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate.

— Running back Todd Gurley has accepted a contract with the Falcons, one day after being released by the Los Angeles Rams. The one-year, $6 million agreement was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the deal, who also says Gurley needs to pass a physical. Gurley rushed for more than 1,000 yards in three of his five seasons with the Rams, but he ran for a career-low 857 yards last year.

— The Bills have confirmed they are acquiring receiver Stefon Diggs in a multi-draft-pick trade with the Vikings. The trade was agreed to Monday and announced Friday by both teams. Minnesota gets four draft choices, including the 22nd overall in the upcoming draft. Diggs has topped 1,000 yards receiving each of his past two years.

— The Steelers have agreed to terms with veteran tight end Eric Ebron, giving quarterback Ben Roethlisberger another proven red zone target. Ebron reached the Pro Bowl in 2018 while catching 13 touchdowns but was limited most of last season while battling an ankle injury. The Steelers also agreed to terms with guard Stefen Wisniewski, a Pittsburgh native.

— The Broncos have worked out a two-year deal with former Chargers running back Melvin Gordon. A person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press that it’s worth $16 million with all but $2.5 million guaranteed. The two-time Pro Bowl selection has three dozen rushing touchdowns over the last four seasons and 47 touchdowns overall. Gordon totaled 908 scrimmage yards after recording over 1,200 scrimmage yards in three straight seasons from 2016 to ’18.

— Saints left guard Andrus Peat has agreed to a five-year, $57.5 million contract that keeps him in New Orleans. The package virtually ensures the entire 2019 starting offensive line will return.

— The Cowboys are bringing back several of their depth players, reaching agreements with linebackers Joe Thomas and Justin March, Dallas also re-signed offensive lineman Joe Looney and worked out a deal with safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.

— Defensive end Everson Griffen and his agent say they were unable to come to contract terms with the Vikings due to salary-cap constraints. Griffen is the longest-tenured player on the Vikes, having played 10 seasons in purple and recording eight sacks in 2019.

MLB-NEWS

UNDATED — New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has revealed he had a collapsed lung that has healed and said his broken rib is improving. Judge had a CT scan on Friday and he said it showed that a “pneumothorax came back completely gone.”
The Yankees announced two weeks ago that Judge had a stress fracture to his first right rib. Judge says the bone is “healing the way it should be.” The 27-year-old didn’t play in any spring training games because of soreness in his right pectoral muscle and shoulder. With opening day pushed back into mid-May at the earliest due to the coronavirus outbreak, Judge has more time to recover without missing games.

— Hard-throwing Padres reliever Andres Munoz and minor leaguer Reggie Lawson have undergone Tommy John surgery. Munoz made his major league debut for San Diego last season, going 1-1 with a 3.91 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 23 innings over 22 games. The 22-year-old Lawson was 3-1 with a 5.20 ERA in six starts with Double-A Amarillo last season before being shut down by elbow pain.

UNDATED (AP) — The head of USA Swimming is calling for a postponement of the Tokyo Olympics.
CEO Tim Hinchey has sent a letter to leadership at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee urging it to push for a 12-month delay. In his letter, Hinchey noted the unimaginable disruptions athletes have experienced during the coronavirus crisis.
The committee didn’t immediately respond to the letter. But earlier Friday, its leaders said there was no rush to postpone the Olympics.

In other virus-related developments:

— The Florida Panthers have been told by the state Department of Health that a part-time employee at the team’s arena tested positive for the coronavirus. The employee tested positive on March 15 and is self-quarantined while receiving medical care.

— The XFL has canceled the remainder of its return season because of the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioner Oliver Luck released a statement saying the decision was made “with the health and safety of the entire XFL family as our top priority.”

— The National Women’s Soccer League is delaying the start of the regular season because of the coronavirus. The league announced Friday that it is imposing a moratorium on training through April 5. The season was slated to begin on April 18.

— Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton says he has been self-isolating for more than a week after meeting people who later tested positive for the new coronavirus. Hamilton was at a charity event in London on March 4 also attended by actor Idris Elba and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the wife of the Canadian prime minister. Both were later found to have the virus. In a message on social media, Hamilton says he’s shown “zero symptoms” but has been isolating himself from other people ever since March 13, when the Australian Grand Prix was called off.

— Formula One is setting up a series of virtual races to replace postponed or canceled Grand Prix events. The series says a “number of current F1 drivers” will take part in the races, with the first set for Sunday.

— The LPGA Tour commissioner has provided a little hope amid more postponements. He says the ANA Inspiration has been rescheduled for Sept. 10-13. The LPGA’s first major in the California desert had been scheduled for April 2-5. It’s the first postponed LPGA event to be rescheduled.

— All rugby in England below the top-flight Premiership has been canceled for the season. The chief executive of the Rugby Football Union says the decision was taken “to assist with long-term planning and provide clarity to the game at a time of continuous change” during the virus outbreak.

— The Olympic flame has arrived in Japan from Greece and was greeted in a scaled-down ceremony at an air base in northern Japan. The flame touched down Friday amid questions about whether the Tokyo Games can open as scheduled on July 24 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

— The Norwegian Olympic Committee wants the Tokyo Games only to take place once the coronavirus outbreak “is under firm control” worldwide. The NIF laid out its position in a letter sent to IOC President Thomas Bach on Friday, entitled “Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and COVID-19” and signed by its president and secretary general. The body said it urged the IOC to provide an “insight on the central milestones” in the process leading to the final decision on whether the games will be held.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-AP ALL-AMERICANS

UNDATED (AP) — Dayton star Obi Toppin (OH’-bee TAH’-pihn) is the lone unanimous first-team choice to The Associated Press college basketball All-America team. Toppin is Dayton’s first first-team AP All-American after averaging 20 points. 7.0 rebounds and shooting 63% in a breakout season. The 6-foot-9 sophomore helped the third-ranked Flyers match the program’s highest ranking in the final AP Top 25. Toppin is joined on the First Team by Iowa’s Luka Garza, Marquette’s Markus Howard, Myles Powell of Seton Hall and Oregon’s Payton Pritchard.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NEWS

UNDATED (AP) — Georgia guard Anthony Edwards has announced his plans to enter the NBA draft after leading all NCAA freshmen in scoring. Edwards’ spot in the next NBA draft was expected even before he played his first game for the Bulldogs. The Atlanta product was one of the nation’s top recruits last season and has been regarded as one of the top draft prospects.
The 6-foot-5 Edwards averaged 19.1 points and 5.2 rebounds for the Bulldogs.

— Loyola Marymount has hired Stan Johnson as its basketball coach, replacing Mike Dunlap. Johnson spent the last five years at Marquette, most recently as associate head coach. The Golden Eagles reached the NCAA Tournament in 2017 and 2019. He was also on coaching staffs at Arizona State, Drake, Utah and Cal State Northridge. Dunlap was dismissed on March 8 after going 81-108 in six seasons.

— North Florida and men’s basketball coach Matthew Driscoll have agreed to a three-year contract extension that runs through 2025. Driscoll has spent the last 11 seasons at UNF and led the Ospreys to the NCAA Tournament in 2015. He is 184-179 at UNF, with 105 of those wins coming in Atlantic Sun Conference play.

— UAB has hired former Mississippi coach Andy Kennedy to lead its basketball program, giving him a six-year contract. The school didn’t disclose contract details, and the hiring pends official approval by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees. Kennedy replaces Robert Ehsan, who lasted four seasons as the Blazers head coach.

NHL NEWS

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Nashville Predators have signed forward Patrick Harper to a two-year, entry-level contract.
The 21-year-old Harper just finished his senior season at Boston University matching his career high with 37 points and a career-best 14 goals. The 5-foot-7, 150-pound forward finished 15th in the NCAA among all skaters averaging 1.16 points a game and was second on his team in points to David Farrance, also a Predators’ prospect.

NCAA COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

DETROIT (AP) — A federal judge has recommended that a former Michigan State football staff member’s claims against former Spartans football coach Mark Dantonio, former athletic director Mark Hollis and former school President Lou Anna Simon should be dismissed. Curtis Blackwell filed a lawsuit in November 2018 claiming his employment agreement was violated when he was disciplined while the school addressed sexual assault allegations against three players in 2017. Dantonio, Hollis and Simon were named as defendants in the suit. Two MSU police detectives were also named as defendants.
Magistrate Judge Sally J. Berens said in a filing that the case against Dantonio, Hollis and Simon “appears to have been prosecuted for an improper purpose and should be dismissed.” Berens did not recommend dismissing the claims against the detectives.

BASKETBALL-OBIT-ERICKSON

Former Bucks GM, Wisconsin coach dies
LENEXA, Kansas (AP) — Former Milwaukee Bucks general manager and Wisconsin men’s basketball coach John Erickson has died at 92. Erickson served as the Bucks’ general manager from 1968-70. He was in that role when the Bucks won a coin flip with the Phoenix Suns and earned the right to select eventual NBA career scoring leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, with the first pick in the 1969 NBA draft.

IDITAROD

UNDATED (AP) — Three mushers participating in Alaska’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race were rescued Friday after they activated their SOS beacons because of deep overflows of water on the trail near the last checkpoint before the finish line in Nome. Even before the rescue of 52-year-old Tom Knolmayer, 28-year-old Sean Underwood and 37-year-old Matthew Failor, more than one-third of the participants in this year’s 1,000-mile race had quit largely because of conditions. The winner, Thomas Waerner of Norway, arrived at the finish line in Nome early Wednesday. Iditarod officials confirmed the three rescued Friday had officially withdrawn from the race. That brings the number of those who scratched to 22, short of the record of 24 set in 1980. In this year’s race, another musher also was removed for not being competitive.

Two members of the Loras College Sweet 16 women’s basketball team have received Second Team All-West Region honors.  Macenzie Kraemer and former Bellevue Marquette Catholic prep Marissa Schroeder, can add honorable mention All-America honors from WBCA to their list of accomplishments. Both helped guide the Duhawks to two consecutive at-large berths to the NCAA tournament, including a Round of 16 appearances this season before the season came to an abrupt end. Both Kraemer and Schroeder were named first-team All-Conference performers this season.

There is another award in the parade of honors for Iowa junior center Luka Garza. Garza has been named to the five player Associated Press All-American Team announced this morning.  It’s the fifth first team All-American honor for Garza who has also been named or is a candidate for several Player of the Year honors.  Dayton’s Obi Toppin was the lone unanimous selection on the A-P All-American team, Marquette’s Markus Howard, Myles Powell of Seton Hall and Payton Pritchard of Oregon were the other three players selected.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady has signed a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, saying he is embarking on a “new football journey.” The 42-year-old quarterback who spent the first 20 years of his career with the New England Patriots announced his decision today in an Instagram post. The deal is worth $30 million per season. The signing comes three days after Brady announced on social media that he would not return to New England.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton says he is resting comfortably at home after testing positive for the coronavirus. Payton told ESPN he took the test Monday, a day after he began to feel ill. The 56-year-old coach says he doesn’t have a fever or cough. Payton is the first person in the NFL to publicly disclose a COVID-19 diagnosis. He told ESPN that he came forward to motivate people to educate themselves about what they can do to help fight the pandemic.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have agreed to a one-year deal with three-time Pro Bowl running back Todd Gurley, one day after he was cut by the Los Angeles Rams. A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press about the agreement on condition of anonymity because the deal will not be official until Gurley passes a physical. The league isn’t allowing players to report to new teams immediately for those physicals during the coronavirus pandemic. The former University of Georgia standout has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in three of his five seasons with the Rams.

CHICAGO (AP) — Quarterback Nick Foles says he is “looking forward to the next part of the journey” with the Chicago Bears after losing his starting job during an injury-riddled season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Chicago acquired Foles from Jacksonville for a compensatory fourth-round pick on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the situation. The former Philadelphia backup and 2018 Super Bowl MVP signed a four-year, $88 million contract with Jacksonville prior to last season. He broke his left collarbone early in the opener, missed the next eight games and got benched in his third game back.

MATSUSHIMA AIR BASE, Japan (AP) — The Olympic flame has arrived in Japan from Greece. It was greeted in a scaled-down ceremony at an air base in northern Japan. The flame touched down today amid questions about whether the Tokyo Games can open as scheduled on July 24 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The flame will stay in northern Japan for almost a week until the four-month torch relay begins officially on March 26 from the northern Fukushima prefecture. That’s the northeastern part of Japan that is recovering after being devastated by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and meltdown of three nuclear reactors.

UNDATED (AP) — Kansas is celebrating their finish atop the final Top 25 from The Associated Press. The regular-season Big 12 champions, who were 28-3 when the season abruptly ended after the first day of the conference tournament last week, received 63 of 65 first-place votes from a national media panel in balloting released Wednesday.

That easily outdistanced No. 2 Gonzaga and No. 3 Dayton, each of which received a first-place vote.

Florida State was fourth, easily the best finish ever for the Seminoles, while Baylor rounded out the top five after spending a longer stretch at No. 1 than any other team during a topsy-turvy season.

Wisconsin finished 17^th, Illinois 21^st, and Iowa was 25^th.  The highest ranked Big 10 team in front of the Badgers was Michigan State ranked 9^th.

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks have added another piece to their offensive line and a potential starting right tackle after agreeing to an $11 million, two-year deal with Brandon Shell. That’s according to a person with knowledge of the deal. Shell started 25 games over the past two seasons for the Jets and played almost exclusively at right tackle. The 28-year-old was benched briefly last season, but started the final five games of the season. There’s also word that the Seahawks are bringing back former first-round pick Bruce Irvin, who would be a boost to Seattle’s pass rush.

CLEVELAND (AP) — According to a person familiar with the negotiations, the Cleveland Browns have a contract agreement with free agent linebacker B.J. Goodson. He could replace Joe Schobert, who was allowed to walk away by the Browns and agreed to a five-year, $53 million deal with Jacksonville on Tuesday.

TOKYO (AP) — The Olympic flame from Greece is set to arrive in Japan even as the opening of the Tokyo Games is in doubt. More voices are suggesting the games, scheduled to start July 24, should to be postponed or canceled because of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. The flame will touch down Friday in northern Japan aboard a white aircraft painted with the inscription “Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay” along its side.

UNDATED (AP) — The NBA is considering an idea that would have some players be quarantined or isolated for purposes of being able to compete against one another and provide basketball fans with some sort of diversion from the coronavirus pandemic. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver revealed that notion as one of several items under consideration by the league during the shutdown caused by the pandemic. Silver made the comments in a televised interview on ESPN.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers minor leaguer Connor Joe has revealed on social media that he has been diagnosed with testicular cancer. The 27-year-old infielder-outfielder left spring training three weeks ago to visit doctors and have tests. Joe said on Instagram that his cancer was caught early and cases like his “are very curable.” Joe said he had surgery and is recovering. At Triple-A Oklahoma City last year he hit .300, with 15 home runs and 68 RBI.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — DeForest Buckner made it official by signing a four-year, $84 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts, one day after his celebrating his 26th birthday. The deal makes Buckner the second-highest paid defensive tackle in the NFL. The announcement came two days after reports surfaced that Indy would trade its first-round pick in next month’s draft to San Francisco in exchange for Buckner. Indy also has agreed to terms on a one-year, $25 million deal with quarterback Philip Rivers. But the Colts did not officially announce that move.

JACKSONVILLE (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars are trying to mitigate one of the costliest mistakes in franchise history. The Chicago Bears could benefit from the purge. The Jaguars agreed to trade quarterback Nick Foles to the Bears for a compensatory fourth-round draft pick. That’s according to a person familiar with the transaction. The Jaguars are dumping Foles a little more than a year after giving the 2018 Super Bowl MVP a four-year, $88 million contract that included $50 million guaranteed. The Bears are getting a veteran to compete with Mitchell Trubisky.

DETROIT (AP) — Darius Slay is apparently ready to leave Detroit. ESPN, citing an unidentified source, reported Wednesday night that cornerback Desmond Trufant had agreed to a two-year deal with the Lions. Slay, who is currently Detroit’s top player at that position, tweeted in response to that reported deal that he’s hoping for a quick trade.

UNDATED (AP) — People familiar with the discussions tell The Associated Press that Major League Baseball is considering skipping its amateur draft this year and putting off the next international signing period as a way to preserve cash while games are affected by the new coronavirus. MLB proposed crediting full major league service for 130 games or more and proportional service for a shorter season. The union wants a full season of service even if no games are played. Service determines eligibility for free agency and salary arbitration.

UNDATED (AP) — A person familiar with the team’s plans says the Raiders have declined an option to remain in Oakland for 2020 and are on target to move into their new Las Vegas stadium this summer. Construction on the stadium has been deemed an essential project and is going on without interruption despite most business being shut down in Nevada because of the new coronavirus. The Raiders announced plans to move to Las Vegas in 2017 and the NFL approved it later that year. The team remained in Oakland as a lame duck the past three seasons and had an option to stay for 2020 if needed.

Loras College has a new men’s soccer coach. Yesterday Loras announced Steven McCarthy as the next head coach for the men’s soccer program.

McCarthy comes to Loras from Denison University where he has spent the past eight years as the associate head men’s soccer coach.

McCarthy replaced long time coach Dan Rothert who recently stepped down earlier this year after 22 seasons.

For more info: https://duhawks.com/news/2020/3/17/mccarthy-tabbed-to-lead-mens-soccer-program.aspx

University of Wisconsin Platteville senior guard Carter Voelker and Pioneers head coach Jeff Gard landed all district recognition from the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Voelker was named first team in the Central District while Gard was named Central District’s Coach of the Year, an honor he received just two seasons ago. Voelker was named WIAC Co-Player of the Year and Gard the conference Coach of the Year. V

Voelker has also been selected to play in the Reese’s Division Three All-Star Game later this year.

AMES, Iowa – Following the advice from state and national health officials, the Iowa State Athletics Department decided today to cancel the Cyclone Tailgate Tour stops in May, including the stop in Dubuque on May 20th.

University of Northern Iowa also announced  yesterday it was cancelling the Panther Caravan stops for later this spring.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady says he’s leaving the New England Patriots after 20 seasons, six Super Bowls and three MVPs. Brady becomes a free agent this afternoon, when he already could have an agreement in place with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His representatives were in serious negotiations with the Bucs yesterday. Patriots owner Robert Kraft told ESPN, “It’s not the way I want it to end, but I want him to do what is in his best personal interest.”

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts and longtime Los Angeles Chargers star quarterback Philip Rivers have worked out a one-year contract. That’s according to a person who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal cannot be officially announced until Wednesday. General manager Chris Ballard adds an eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback to the roster less than 24 hours after acquiring Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner in a trade with San Francisco.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints and quarterback Drew Brees have agreed to a two-year, $50 million contract. A person familiar with the situation spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on yesterday because the deal has not been announced. His new contract gives the 41-year-old, 19-year veteran the leverage to decide after this season whether he wants to continue playing. Brees is the NFL’s all-time leader in completions with 6,867, yards passing with 77,416, and touchdowns with 547.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have worked out a deal with Teddy Bridgewater to replace quarterback Cam Newton. A person familiar with the deal says Bridgewater is taking a three-year, $63 million contract after winning all five of his starts for New Orleans last season. Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said Tuesday on Twitter the team is working with Newton and his agent to find a trade partner, although the 2015 says he never asked to be dealt.

NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant and three other members of the Brooklyn Nets have tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total to seven known players in the NBA. The team announced Tuesday that one player is exhibiting symptoms, while the other three are asymptomatic. All four players have been isolated and are under the care of team physicians. The Nets added that all players and members of their travel party are being asked to remain isolated and closely monitor their health.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Based on regular season play, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on today the five finalists vying for the honor of the 2020 Naismith Trophy, which includes University of Iowa men’s basketball junior center Luka Garza. The prestigious award recognizes the most outstanding men’s college basketball player.

Joining Garza as a finalist for the prestigious award are Dayton’s Obi Toppin, Udoka Azbuike of Kansas, Seton Hall’s Myles Powell, and Oregon’s Payton Pritchard.

ESPN just named Garza their Player of the Year, and last week, Sporting News tabbed Garza its National Player of the Year and a first-team All-American. Garza is the first player in Iowa history to earn national player of the year distinction. He was also voted the USBWA District VI Player of the Year and the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Player of the Year.

The Washington, D.C., native is also a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, Wooden Award, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, and the Lute Olson Award.

Tom Brady is an NFL free agent for the first time in his career. The 42-year-old quarterback with six Super Bowl rings said this morning that he is leaving the New England Patriots. He officially hits the league’s open market tomorrow, but could reach agreement with another team today when players and clubs can negotiate deals. A four-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player and three-time league MVP will be leading another NFL team for his 21st pro season.

• Saints agree to terms with QB Drew Brees on two-year deal worth roughly $50M.
• Wide receiver Jake Kumerow won’t be leaving the Packers for another team this month. Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports Green Bay has tendered Kumerow as an exclusive rights free agent. That leaves him with the choice of signing the tender or not playing in 2020.

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL says it will proceed with its draft but without public events next month in Las Vegas. It’s not yet clear, however, if the draft itself will be held in the city. Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday the draft will take place April 23-25 as scheduled but under a modified format still being developed. The draft will be televised regardless of its venue or format.

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has pushed back opening day until mid-May at the earliest because of the new coronavirus. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement following a conference call with executives of the 30 teams. His office issued a statement saying teams remain committed to playing as many games as possible when the season begins.

UNDATED (AP) — NHL players have been told they can return home and self-isolate there until the end of March while hockey is on hold amid the coronavirus pandemic. The league cautioned that it will not be able to even provide guidance on the potential reopening of team practices for another 45 days, which could make May the earliest possible restart date. Players had previously been told to remain in their team’s city and await further direction.

Following Sunday’s announcement from Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds recommending school closures for the next four weeks due to precautions surrounding the COVID 19, the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union and the Iowa High School Athletic Association will postpone the start or resumption of spring sports calendar through at least the four week time period.  All Iowa high school sports are now in a prohibited period for practice, competition, and sanctioned activity until the closure is lifted. More information and schedule updates will be provided as they become available from each of the activity organizations.

Wisconsin and Illinois High School spring sports seasons were already suspended after both state’s governors announced school closures  suspended while Iowa is expected to make an announcement today regarding the upcoming spring sports schedule.

Local college spring sports at Loras College, University of  Dubuque, Clarke University and UW Platteville have had also been cancelled or indefinitely suspended .

For more information: https://www.iahsaa.org/march-16-2020-school-closures-suspend-iowa-high-school-spring-activities/

UNDATED (AP) — Recommendations by the Center of Disease Control suggest that North American professional sports could remain on hiatus until May. The CDC says organizers should cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States for the next eight weeks. That window easily exceeds what would have been the remainder of the NBA and NHL regular seasons, plus would cover about the first 25% of the MLB season.

UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA will not create brackets for the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments that were canceled due to coronavirus concerns. NCAA vice president of men’s basketball Dan Gavitt says there’s not an authentic way to produce tournament fields and brackets at this point without speculating. College basketball’s showcase was canceled Thursday, leading to suggestions from coaches and athletic directors to release brackets for the event even though it won’t happen this year.

UNDATED (AP) — NFL players have narrowly approved a new labor agreement with the league that features a 17-game regular season. It also includes higher salaries, increased roster sizes and larger pensions for current and former players. The 17-game schedule won’t happen before the 2021 season. The deal, which runs through the 2030 season, was accepted by the 32 team owners last month. Soon after the vote was announced today, the union began discussions with the league about Wednesday’s planned opening of the 2020 NFL business season. A delay is possible given league restrictions on travel as a safeguard against the new coronavirus.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have worked out a four-year, $118 million extension with quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who just led them within a victory of the Super Bowl. Tannehill was 9-4 as a starter last season, including a 7-3 mark after replacing an ineffective Marcus Mariota (mar-ee-OH’-tah). He threw for 2,742 yards with 22 touchdowns, six interceptions and an NFL’-leading 117.5 passer rating.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Veteran tackle Anthony Castonzo has agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Indianapolis Colts. The 31-year-old has been the anchor of the offensive line since he arrived in 2011 as a first-round pick. And after Castonzo considered retirement earlier this offseason, Colts general manager Chris Ballard made it clear he wanted Castonzo back as part of one of the league’s top offensive lines over the last two seasons. Castonzo has started all 132 games he has appeared in during his NFL career, plus eight postseason games. In 2019, Castonzo started all 16 games for the sixth time in his career.

UNDATED (AP) — Another NBA player has tested positive for the coronavirus. A person with direct knowledge of the situation says Pistons forward Christian Wood has contracted the virus and is feeling fine. The team confirmed it had a player who tested positive without revealing his name. Wood’s diagnosis was revealed one week after he played against the Utah Jazz, spending much of that night matched up with Rudy Gobert (goh-BEHR’). The NBA opted to suspend its season Wednesday, immediately after Gobert became the first league player to test positive. Jazz teammate Donovan Mitchell also has tested positive. Wood was enjoying a breakout season, averaging career highs of 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds while starting 12 of 62 games. He’s been exception over his last 10 games, providing 24.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest. Meanwhile, Gobert has donated $500,000 to support health services in the U.S. and France and employees of the team impacted by the coronavirus. His donation was announced by the Jazz, who said some of the money will go to COVID 19-related social services relief in Utah, Oklahoma City and within the French health care system.

In Los Angeles, the Lakers, Clippers, Kings and Staples Center, have joined together to set up a fund to provide financial help to all hourly arena workers impacted by the stoppage of games. The fund will help compensate for lost wages through the end of the NBA and NHL regular seasons. Payments will go to over 2,800 workers.

The United Center ownership and the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks say they will pay day-of-game employees through the end of their scheduled seasons. The NBA and NHL seasons have been suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement attributed to Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, the teams say their employees “are family, and we will navigate this unprecedented situation together.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals have released relief pitcher Hunter Strickland in a series of moves by the reigning World Series champs. Strickland was expected to stabilize Washington’s bullpen after being acquired from Seattle at the July 31 trade deadline last season, but he recorded a 5.14 ERA in 21 innings over 24 appearances for the Nationals. He didn’t pitch for the Nats during the postseason. The Nationals also dropped David Hernandez, who surrendered five earned runs over 2 1/3 innings over four appearances this spring.

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says his country still intends to host the Olympic Games in Tokyo as planned. He says the virus outbreak hasn’t reached a point in Japan that requires him to declare a national emergency like the United States and parts of Europe. Abe says Japan is continuing to “coordinate well” with the International Olympic Committee. President Donald Trump suggested this week that Japan should consider postponing the Olympics, which are scheduled to open July 24.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota coach Richard Pitino will return for his eighth season with the program, according to a person knowledge of the situation. The 37-year-old Pitino has a 127-108 record with the Gophers. That includes a 48-82 mark in Big Ten regular-season play. They finished 12th in the 14-team league in 2019-20. They won their first-round game in the conference tournament on Wednesday before the Big Ten canceled the remainder of the event out of precaution for the coronavirus pandemic.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears re-signed veteran inside linebacker Danny Trevathan to a three-year contract extension through the 2022 season. Trevathan has 327 tackles in four seasons with Bears and 602 overall in eight years with Chicago and Denver. He played on a Super Bowl champion with the Broncos. The Bears value his leadership and production. But he has missed 18 of 64 games for Chicago, including seven last season because of a gruesome elbow injury.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers have released tight end Jimmy Graham after the 33-year-old veteran spent two seasons with the franchise. The move creates about $8 million in cap space for the Packers. Graham caught 38 passes for 447 yards and three touchdowns last season. He had 55 receptions for 636 yards and two scores in 2018. The five-time Pro Bowl selection previously played with New Orleans (2010-14) and Seattle (2015-17).  Graham has 649 catches for 7,883 yards and 74 touchdowns in 153 career games with 111 starts.

UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Redskins have placed the franchise tag on three-time Pro Bowl guard and former Iowa Hawkeye great Brandon Scherff as they attempt to keep him in the fold next season. The team didn’t designate the exclusive, franchise tag on Scherff, meaning he can still talk to other teams. Washington would have the right to match another offer or receive two first-round picks as compensation. The 28-year-old Scherff was the fifth overall pick in the 2015 draft and has been a force for Washington when healthy.

The Latest: 2 more Fiorentina players test positive

Two more Fiorentina players have tested positive for COVID-19 as well as a club physiotherapist. The top-tier Italian league soccer team tweets that defender and club captain Germán Pezzella, forward Patrick Cutrone and physiotherapist Stefano Dainelli “are in good health at their homes in Florence.” They were tested after “showing some symptoms.” The club had already announced on Friday that 20-year-old striker Dušan Vlahović tested positive. With Cutrone and Pezzella added to the list with Vlahović, there are now nine Serie A players who have tested positive. The others are Daniele Rugani of Juventus plus five Sampdoria players: Manolo Gabbiadini, Omar Colley, Albin Ekdal, Antonino La Gumina and Morten Thorsby. Serie A is suspended until at least April 3 as part of a nationwide lockdown in Italy intended to contain the virus. Most people quickly recover from the global virus after experiencing only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

Here is the latest Big Ten Conference sports news from The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota coach Richard Pitino will return for his eighth season with the program, according to a person knowledge of the situation. The 37-year-old Pitino has a 127-108 record with the Gophers. That includes a 48-82 mark in Big Ten regular-season play. They finished 12th in the 14-team league in 2019-20. They won their first-round game in the conference tournament on Wednesday before the Big Ten canceled the remainder of the event out of precaution for the coronavirus pandemic. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, without authorization to speak publicly on the matter.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Rutgers seemed to be only a couple of days away from ending a nearly three-decade absence from the NCAA Tournament. Then the coronavirus changed everything. After knocking off then No. 9 Maryland last week and winning at Purdue, all the Scarlet Knights had to do was play in the Big Ten Tournament and wait — for the announcement they would be going back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. The dream ended Thursday when the NCAA canceled its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

Here is the latest Wisconsin sports news from The Associated Press

HARTFORD, Wis. (AP) — Some of the only sporting events still taking place this week were in gyms across the country as high school basketball tournaments were played amid the coronavirus threat. Most games were eventually called off or were played in front of restricted crowds. At least 33 states had canceled or postponed their tournaments as of late Friday night.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers have released tight end Jimmy Graham after the 33-year-old veteran spent two seasons with the franchise. The move creates about $8 million in cap space for the Packers. Graham caught 38 passes for 447 yards and three touchdowns last season. He had 55 receptions for 636 yards and two scores in 2018. The five-time Pro Bowl selection previously played with New Orleans (2010-14) and Seattle (2015-17).  Graham has 649 catches for 7,883 yards and 74 touchdowns in 153 career games with 111 starts.

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward earned the most in the NFL’s performance-based pay program, getting an additional $654,750 out of an overall pot of just under $148 million. Ward, who was not selected in the 2018 draft, received nearly 15%t more than his 2019 salary of the league minimum for second-year players ($570,000).  He started all 16 games during Chiefs’ championship season, playing in nearly 95% of the Chiefs’ defensive plays, as well as almost 26% of the special teams plays.

UNDATED (AP) — Facing criticism for coaching his team when he was not feeling well Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg wrote in a social media post he would not have been on the bench if he knew his presence could expose others to illness. Hoiberg wrote on Twitter that he would never do anything that would put his team, family or anyone else in harm’s way. Hoiberg was taken to an Indianapolis hospital after he left Wednesday night’s 89-64 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament. Hoiberg was diagnosed with influenza-A, which the school characterized as a “common cold” in a news release.

Here is the latest Illinois sports news from The Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is asking the owners of all the state’s major sports teams’ owners to cancel games or play without fans until May 1 in another move to combat the spread of the coronavirus, which affects 32 people in the state. Pritzker said during a news conference that he also is mandating events of 1,000 or more people be canceled or postponed immediately and requested that events of 250 people be canceled or postponed as well. Pritzker said he is not ordering schools to close. The governor is asking private businesses that can allow employees to work remotely.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears re-signed veteran inside linebacker Danny Trevathan to a three-year contract extension through the 2022 season. Trevathan has 327 tackles in four seasons with Bears and 602 overall in eight years with Chicago and Denver. He played on a Super Bowl champion with the Broncos. The Bears value his leadership and production. But he has missed 18 of 64 games for Chicago, including seven last season because of a gruesome elbow injury.

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois-Chicago has fired basketball coach Steve McClain after five seasons. McClain went 76-93 with the Flames, including a 42-48 record in the Horizon League. UIC was 18-17 this season and reached the Horizon League Tournament final, but lost 71-62 to Northern Kentucky.

The Heart of America Athletic Conference is temporarily suspending all conference competitions for the athletic programs of its 13 member institutions including Clarke University through March 30th.

Heart sports impacted by this decision include men’s volleyball, baseball, softball, outdoor track & field, men’s golf, and women’s golf.

Hempstead High School is looking for a new head softball coach.  The Cedar Rapids Gazette first reported Alisha Frese has been named the new head coach at Cedar Rapids Prairie High School.

Frese has been the head coach at Hempstead for 16 seasons with 431 victories and one state tournament appearance. She was a seven-time Mississippi Valley Conference coach-of-the-year winner. Frese’s husband Eric is currently the head softball coach at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids.

Hempstead High School has named a new head varsity football coach. Athletic Director Brian Kuhle says Jeff Hoerner has been tabbed as the next Mustang head coach.  Hoerner who is a Hempstead alumi, has been served in some coaching capacity in the Hempstead program for 17 years.

Hoerner replaced Kuhle who was served as the interim varsity coach last season. The hiring is pending the approval of the Dubuque Community School Board at their next meeting.

UNDATED (AP) — There will be no hoops, hardball, hockey or hazards for a while due to the coronavirus.

Locally the news is affecting high school and college sports along with the Dubuque Fighting Saints season as well.

Late last night the W-I-A-A announced the rest of the Wisconsin Girls State Basketball Tournament  and remainder of the Boys Basketball sectional tournaments and state tournament next week have been cancelled.

Before the cancellation of the tournament yesterday, at the Girls State Tournament in Green Bay, Platteville kept their record undefeated with a   D-3 semi-final win over Arcadia 48-45.

In the boy’s sectional tournament: D-4 at Mineral Point: unbeaten Cuba City defeated Darlington 55-48. In D-5 at Belmont: Wauzeka Steuben topped Potosi 53-44.

• The rest of the Illinois High School boys basketball tournament schedule was cancelled. At the Iowa boys state tournament in Des Moines they will play the four championship games today in front of limited spectators in attendance .

The Loras women’s basketball teams found out yesterday their trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 in Michigan was halted. The Clarke University men’s and women’s teams dates in the N-A-I-A national tournaments next week have been cancelled.  The NCAA D-3 wrestling tournament in Cedar Rapids where Loras College was one of the favorites for the team title has also been cancelled along with the D-3 indoor track and field championships in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The USHL and Dubuque Fighting Saints announced its decision to suspend game play effective immediately and until further notice.

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The NCAA has canceled the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments because of the spread of coronavirus. The decision came one day after the NCAA announced games that were scheduled to start next week would be played in mostly empty arenas. That plan was scrapped as every major American sports league put the brakes on their seasons due to concerns about the pandemic. The NCAA also canceled its championships in every winter and spring sport, including hockey, baseball and lacrosse.

Division I conference basketball tournaments have been canceled. Moments away from tipoff at some arenas, and minutes apart, each Power Five conference canceled its remaining games. The Big East game between Creighton and St. John’s began at Madison Square Garden but was called off at halftime. Smaller conferences followed suit, shutting down their tournaments.

Major League Baseball has delayed the start of its season by at least two weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak. Opening day had been scheduled for March 26, and the decision announced by Commissioner Rob Manfred left open whether each team would still play 162 games. MLB also suspended the rest of its spring training schedule.

The NHL has put its season on pause, effective immediately, because of the coronavirus pandemic. The move came one day after the NBA suspended its season following a positive test for COVID-19 by a Utah Jazz player. Commissioner Gary Bettman said the hope is to resume play later and still award the Stanley Cup. The NHL Players’ Association backed the decision, calling it “an appropriate course of action at this time.”

The PGA has canceled the remainder of The Players Championship, along with three tournaments leading up to The Masters. Tour officials had planned to ban spectators for at least the next month, beginning with the second round today at TPC Sawgrass. Also shut down were the Valspar Championship next week near Tampa, the Dell Match Play in Austin, Texas, and the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.

— NFL teams are curtailing or completely stopping scouting operations as a safeguard against the spread of the new coronavirus. The Washington Redskins, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets have ordered their scouts and assistant coaches to return home. The league canceled its main owners meeting scheduled for later this month in Palm Beach, Florida.

— IndyCar and NASCAR will both race this weekend without spectators

— Churchill Downs said preparations to hold the Kentucky Derby on May 2 are up in the air.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — If you were planning on supporting the Platteville girls high school basketball team at the state tournament in Green Bay or any state tournament team at the girls tournament this weekend or boys tournament next week in Madison, you will have to change your plans.

The Wisconsin state girls and boy’s basketball tournaments are one of the latest events to be affected by the coronavirus. The policy announced by the WIAA limits attendance at the State Tournaments to 88 tickets per team, two supervisors and a limit of 22 team personnel.

Tickets for the WIAA Girls and Boys State Basketball Tournaments, except the party of 88 immediate family members, will be refunded in full.

Any tickets purchased at school for the State Girls Basketball Tournament will we be refunded by your school and not the Resch Center or the WIAA.

This policy is being in put in place for the Boys Basketball Sectional games tonight and Saturday, including the D-4 semi-final at Mineral Point between Cuba City and Darlington and the D-5 semi-final at Belmont between Potosi and Wauzeka Steuben.

The Platteville High School Girls Basketball team brings a perfect 25-0 record into the Wisconsin State Tournament in Green Bay today as they make their first state appearance since 1984.

The Hillman are the top seed and will meet 4th seed Arcadia (23-3) on Thursday afternoon at 1:35 at the Resch Center. The winner plays on Saturday against the winner of the other semi-final between #2 seed Wrightstown (24-2) and #3 seed Lake Mills (24-2).

The Dubuque Fighting Saints bounced back from back to back losses tonight by defeating the rival Waterloo Black Hawks to improve to 33-13-2 on the season and take the lead in the race for the Cowbell Cup. It was a physical, defensive battle for the majority of the contest that saw Aidan McCarthy record his second shutout of the season to help give the Fighting Saints the 3-0 victory.

The Clarke University men’s and women’s basketball teams found out who they will play in next week’s N-A-I-A National Tournaments

The Pride men’s basketball team will take on Xavier University of Louisiana Wednesday in the opening round in Kansas City, Missouri.  Clarke drew d No. 6 seed in the eight-team Liston Bracket, while Xavier is the bracket’s No. 3 seed. The 32-team national tournament will run from Wednesday through March 24.

The Clarke women’s team will face Our Lady of the Lake University (Texas) on Wednesday in the opening round of the NAIA Division I Women’s Tournament in Billings, Montana.  Tip-off is set for 8:30 in the morning.  The Pride are seeded No. 5 in the Cramer Bracket, while Our Lady of the Lake is the bracket’s No. 4 seed. The tournament also runs through March 24^th.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Oklahoma State’s Isaac Likekele went coast-to-coast for the go-ahead layup with 3.8 seconds left, lifting the eighth-seeded Cowboys to a 72-71 victory over No. 9 seed Iowa State in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night. Likekele finished with 21 points for the Cowboys, who advanced to play No. 1 Kansas in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Cameron McGriff added 17 points and Yor Anei finished with 12 for Oklahoma State while Prentiss Nixon led Iowa State with 25 points. Michael Jacobson had 13 and Tre Jackson had 10 for the Cyclones.

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA season has been suspended until further notice due to the virus outbreak. The decision was announced after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, and only hours after the majority of the league’s owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas. A person with knowledge of the situation said the player who tested positive was Jazz center Rudy Gobert .

UNDATED (AP) — NCAA President Mark Emmert says its Division I basketball tournament games will not be open to the general public because of concerns about the spread of coronavirus. Emmert said in a statement that he made the decision to conduct both the men’s and women’s tournaments with only essential staff and limited family in attendance. The decision comes after the NCAA’s COVID-19 advisory panel of medical experts recommended against playing sporting events open to the general public.

UNDATED (AP) — Each of the Power Five basketball tournaments will proceed without fans. ACC games will be played only with teams, player guests, limited school administrators and credentialed media present. Big 12 squads will be allowed 125 tickets on a game-by-game basis. Big Ten attendance will be limited to team personnel, conference staff, TV network partners, credentialed media and immediate family members of the participating teams. The SEC also says fans will be kept out of all regular-season events on its campuses and other league championships through at least March 30.

UNDATED (AP) — The St. Louis Blues stayed atop the NHL’s Central Division with a 4-2 win at Anaheim. Alex Pietrangelo  supplied two goals and Zach Sanford put the Blues ahead to stay late in the second period. The second-place Colorado Avalanche stayed two points behind St. Louis by downing the Rangers, 3-2 on J.T. Compher’s goal 2:50 into overtime.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights continue to lead the NHL’s Pacific Division by three points following the Edmonton Oilers’ 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Kyle Connor broke a 2-2 deadlock 29 seconds into the third period before sending his 38th goal of the season into an empty net. The first goal was his 200th career point. Tyler Ennis and Connor McDavid scored in the Oilers’ second straight loss.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

College Mens Basketball

Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament Finals

• #5 William Penn 96, #22 Clarke 90

This evening, the Clarke men and women will learn their seeds and opponents in the N-A-I-A  National Tournaments

College Baseball

• #12 Rhodes 7, Dubuque 5 (at Auburndale, FL)

College Softball

• Dubuque 9, PSU-Altoona 0 (at Leesburg, FL)
• Wooster 5, Dubuque 2

College Mens Volleyball

• William Penn 3, Clarke 2

NEW YORK (AP) — A person familiar with the deliberations told The Associated Press that if MLB can’t play in front of fans at a team’s home ballpark because of the outbreak, the sport’s first preference likely would be to switch games to the visiting team’s stadium if possible. The Mariners are scheduled to host the Rangers when MLB opens the season on March 26, but the Seattle area has been hit hard by the virus. MLB anticipates government officials will decide whether it is safe to play in front of fans in each city.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — The Ivy League is canceling its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments because of concerns about the spread of coronavirus. The four-team tournaments were scheduled to be played Friday through Sunday in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Ivy League says it will award its automatic NCAA Tournament bids to regular-season champions Princeton women and Yale men.

UNDATED (AP) — The Sharks and the NHL are still determining how to proceed with three scheduled home games in San Jose this month. Santa Clara County health officials have banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people in response to the spread of the coronavirus. The games could be moved to a neutral site, be postponed or played without fans in the arena.

— Ohio’s governor is calling for all indoor sports to be played without fans. Mike DeWine’s decision would affect the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets and NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.

UNDATED (AP) — The deadline for applying franchise and transition tags to NFL free agents has been moved from tomorrow to Monday by the league and the players’ union. The decision comes because the NFL Players Association’s members are still voting on a proposed labor agreement the owners already have approved. That deadline was extended by two days to just before midnight on Saturday.

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Cavaliers and coach J.B. Bickerstaff have agreed to terms on a multi-year contract. Bickerstaff had been serving as an associate head coach under the 67-year-old John Beilein, who cited personal health issues as one of his reasons for stepping down after 54 games in his first NBA season. The Cavs are 5-6 under Bickerstaff.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL

The Wiscosnin Basketball Coaches Association has named the all-state boys basketball teams.

In Division 4: Brayden Dailey and Brady Olson of Cuba City were named all state along with Carter Lancaster of Darlington. Named Honorable Mention Jackson Noll of Cuba City,Adam Larson and Kellen Kenny of Fennimore along with Cole Crubel of River Ridge.

The Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association also has named the all-state girls basketball team.

In Division 3: State tournament qualifier Platteville had two selections. Sami Martin was named all state while Jodi Nies was named honorable mention.

In Division 4: Nicole Johnson of Mineral Point was chosen all state.

In Division 5: Defending state champion Black Hawk has three all state choices; Natalie Leuzinger, Hannah Butler and Bailey Butler.  Skylar White of River Ridge was also selected.

IGCA All State Girls Basketball

The Iowa Girls Coaches Association has named the all-state girls basketball teams for the just concluded season.

In Class 2A: Cascade Nicole McDermott was named a first team. Teammate Skylar Dolphin was named third team.

In Class 1A: Bellevue Marquette Catholic’s Miranda Peters was named to the second team and teammate Tori Michel was named to the third team.

MIAMI (AP) — All major professional sports leagues are taking corona virus outbreak precautions. The NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer are closing access to locker rooms and clubhouses to all non-essential personnel. The changes will be temporary. Media will still have access to players.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Houston ace Justin Verlander has a mild strain of a back muscle and said it would “probably take a miracle” for him to pitch on opening day at home against the Angels on March 26. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was hurt on his second-to-last pitch in Sunday’s exhibition game against the New York Mets. There is not a timetable for his return. Verlander had a similar injury during spring training in 2015 and did not make his season debut until June 13.

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The surgeons who operated on Texas Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun decided not to wire his broken jaw shut. Calhoun was hit in the face by a fastball on Sunday. He is expected to be released from this hospital in coming days. Doctors haven’t determined if Calhoun had a concussion. He tweeted that he’s “doing well” and “can’t wait to be back hitting homers soon.”

DENVER (AP) — The short-handed Milwaukee Bucks have now lost four out their last five games. The latest lost was a 109-95 thumping by the Denver Nuggets. Denver’s Jamal Murray scored 21 points, but his teammates and lots of people on Twitter say he was robbed on a hard slam dunk ruled an offensive foul. The bucks are without their top six scorers — including reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo .

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Shea Theodore scored 2:13 into overtime and the Vegas Golden Knights increased their Pacific Division lead to three points by beating the second-place Edmonton Oilers 3-2. The Golden Knights improved to 11-2-0 in their past 13 games. Alex Chiasson and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had the goals for the Oilers, who played without captain Connor McDavid due to an illness.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Dosunmu, No. 23 Illinois hold off No. 18 Iowa

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Ayo Dosunmu scored 17 points and No. 23 Illinois held off No. 18 Iowa 78-76 to secure the No. 4 seed in the Big Ten Conference tournament.

Luka Garza scored a game-high 28 points for Iowa, which finished in a four-way tie for fifth in the Big Ten and will be the No. 5 seed in the tournament. Illinois built a 17-point lead late in the game that evaporated to two points in the final seconds.  For the Hawkeyes former Wahlert preps Cordell Pemsl  had 2 points 3 rebounds while Riley Till  added 2 points.

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The Big 10 Tournament gets underway on Wednesday with Northwestern meeting Minnesota and then Nebraska verses Indiana: The Hawkeyes will play Thursday against the Northwestern -Minnesota winner.  In the quarterfinals on Friday top seed Wisconsin plays against the winner of Thursday’s Michigan-Rutgers game and then Illinois meets either Iowa/Northwestern or Minnesota.

More info on Big 10 Tournament: https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2020-02-26/2020-big-ten-tournament-bracket-schedule-seeds

PHOENIX (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo  will miss at least one more game after suffering a minor knee sprain during Friday’s loss to the Lakers. The NBA’s reigning MVP fell hard on his left knee but remained in the game before undergoing an MRI. He missed Sunday’s loss to the Suns. Antetokounmpo ranks third in the NBA in scoring with 29.6 points per game and fourth in rebounding with 13.7. He also averages 5.8 assists.

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Joey Logano won for the second time in three weeks by holding off Kevin Harvick over the final two laps after an overtime restart at Phoenix Raceway. Logano overcame several tough moments, including a pit-road penalty for an uncontrolled tire and a broken jack during another stop. Kyle Busch was third, followed by Kyle Larson and Clint Bowyer. The race was the first under NASCAR’s new rules package for short tracks, which included a significantly smaller rear spoiler.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tyrell Hatton overcame high winds and jittery nerves to capture his first PGA title and fifth worldwide. Hatton kept it together down the stretch by playing bogey-free over the last seven holes for a 2-over 74 to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational by one shot over Marc Leishman . Hatton had a three-shot lead when he drove into the water on the par-4 11th into the wind. Hatton went well over the green with his third shot, chipped short of the putting surface and had to make a 6-footer for a double bogey.

UNDATED (AP) — Texas Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun was hospitalized with a broken jaw yesterday after taking a fastball in the mouth. The left-handed hitter crumbled after being struck in the jaw by Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias in the first inning. He fell on his back, put his hands over his face and was eventually carried off on a cart. The 25-year-old Calhoun set career bests with 21 homers, a .269 average and an .848 OPS in 83 games.

UNDATED (AP) — The BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament has been postponed after a case of coronavirus was confirmed in the Coachella Valley. The Riverside County Public Health Department has declared a public health emergency for the desert cities located 110 miles east of Los Angeles. That area includes Indian Wells, where the combined ATP and WTA tours were to play the two-week tournament starting Wednesday.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

The Clarke Men’s Basketball team is making school history with a win Saturday night. They beat Peru State College in overtime, earning a  first ever berth in a Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship title game with an 84-79 OT semifinal win over the Bobcats. The Pride will meet William Penn University in the tournament championship on Tuesday in Oskaloosa.  Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. The Clarke men have a record of 24 and 8 heading into that game.

Area Sports:

Women’s College Basketball

NCAA Division III tournament

Loras 71,  DePauw University 60

Men’s College Basketball

NCAA Division III Tournament (Second Round)

St. Thomas (Minnesota) 73, UW Platteville 70

Heart of America Athletic Conference semifinal

Clarke University 84, Peru State College 79 (OT)

Hockey

Chicago Steel 6, Dubuque fighting Saints 5 (OT)

Boys Basketball

Potosi 59,  Kickapoo 48

Girls Basketball

Platteville 50  Marshall 34 at Baraboo HS

Platteville advances to Green Bay

Sports of Area Interest:

Big Ten Men’s Basketball

Wisconsin 60,  Indiana 56

Northwestern 80,  (20) Penn State  69

Rutgers 71,  Purdue 68 (OT)

 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament Semifinals

(6) Maryland 66   (20) Indiana 51

Ohio State 66  Michigan  60

Big 12 Men’s Basketball

Kansas State 79    Iowa State 63

The No. 13-ranked Loras College women’s basketball team  had an upset-victory Saturday against NCAA Division III tournament foe as the Duhawks upset No. 4-ranked DePauw University on Saturday, 71-60, to advance Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. The Duhawks have this week to prepare for a second matchup against the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Friday, March 13. The last meeting between the two teams was on November 16  when Loras defeated the Titans 88-83 in overtime. That next game time and site have not been announced yet.

Update on the latest sports

NBA-SCHEDULE

Lakers win showdown with Bucks
UNDATED (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have won a matchup of NBA conference leaders by getting a combined 67 points from LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The West-leading Lakers are 48-13 after James delivered 37 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in a 113-103 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks. James had 14 points while the Lakers outscored the Bucks, 39-28 in the third quarter to take an 11-point lead. Davis had 30 points for Los Angeles, which won for the 10th time in its last 11 games and gained a split of the two-game season series. Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH’-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON’-poh) had 32 points and 12 boards for the Bucks, whose league-best record dropped to 53-10.

Checking out Friday’s other NBA action:
— Mike Conley Jr. nailed six 3-pointers and dropped in 25 points to carry Utah past the Celtics, 99-94 in Boston. Jordan Clarkson finished with 17 points to help the Jazz overcome Marcus Smart’s 29 points. The Jazz handed the Celtics their third straight home loss and moved into sole possession of fourth place in the West, a half-game ahead of Houston.

— Chris Paul had 21 points and 12 assists as the Thunder hammered the Knicks, 126-103. Danilo Gallinari had a team-high 22 points for Oklahoma City, which outscored New York in each quarter and stayed 1 ½ games behind Utah for the fourth seed in the Western Conference.

— Kristaps Porzingis (KRIHS’-tahps pohr-ZIHN’-gihs) had his fifth straight game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, providing 26 and 11 as the Mavericks clobbered the Grizzlies, 121-96. Luka Doncic (DAHN’-chihch) added 21 points for Dallas, which outscored Memphis, 34-16 in the third quarter and moved 14 games over .500 for the first time this season.

— Domantas Sabonis (doh-MAHN’-tahs sah-BOH’-nihs) shot 11-for-14 while contributing 24 points and 12 rebounds to the Pacers’ 108-102 decision over the Bulls. Victor Oladipo (oh-lah-DEE’-poh) scored 16 in Indiana’s fifth win in six games after missing the previous two games because of a sore right knee.

— Jrue (jroo) Holiday dropped in 20 points and Brandon Ingram missed 15 of his first 17 shots before scoring five points over the final 62 seconds of the Pelicans’ 110-104 victory against the Heat. New Orleans rookie Zion Williamson scored 17 points, ending his string of 20-point performances at 13.

— Caris LeVert recorded a triple-double of 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in sending the Nets to a 139-120 pounding of the Spurs. Brooklyn rang up 75 points in the first half, put eight players in double figures and led by as much as 33 in front of former Net Julius Erving, one of the greatest players in franchise history.

— Aron Baynes established career highs with nine 3-pointers and 37 points as the Suns beat the Trail Blazers, 127-117 to end a four-game losing streak. Baynes was 9 of 14 from long distance and 12 of 23 overall while also grabbing 16 rebounds.

— The Magic rolled to a 132-118 win over the Timberwolves as Nikola Vucevic (VOO’-she-vihch) had 28 points and 12 rebounds to lead Orlando. Markelle Fultz added 24 points for Orlando, which played most of the second half without coach Steve Clifford due to illness.

— Bradley Beal shot 7-for-10 from 3-point range while scoring 35 points for the Wizards in a 118-112 win against the Hawks. Davis Bertans added 17 points and Jerome Robinson had 14 for Washington, which was 15 of 31 from beyond the arc.

NBA-NEWS
NBA fines Cuban, sends teams memo on proper conduct
UNDATED (AP) — The NBA has fined Dallas owner Mark Cuban $500,000 for “public criticism and detrimental conduct” regarding officiating. Cuban twice walked onto the court to challenge officiating calls during the Mavericks’ loss to Atlanta on Feb. 22. The league says Cuban spoke to reporters in the arena after the game and tweeted several times that night and into the next day with comments that were highly critical, personal and demeaning to the league and its officiating staff. The NBA announced that the Mavericks’ protest of that game was rejected Friday. The league also sent a memo to teams reminding them of rules that govern conduct of owners, coaches and other team personnel during games.

In other NBA news:
— The Lakers have signed guard Dion Waiters, who had been a free agent since Memphis waived him last month. He was let go by the Grizzlies three days after acquiring him from Miami in the three-team trade that landed Andre Iguodala (ih-goh-DAH’-lah) (ihg-ah-DAH’-lah) with the Heat. Waiters was suspended three times while playing only three games for Mami, but his 3-point shooting prowess could be valuable as the Lakers head to their first playoff appearance since 2013.

T25 MEN’S BASKETBALL-SAN DIEGO STATE/BOISE STATE
Aztecs reach conference title game again
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Fifth-ranked San Diego State is 30-1 after advancing to the Mountain West Tournament title game for the third straight year. Malachi Flynn had 22 points, five rebounds and five assists as part of the Aztecs’ 81-68 comeback win over Boise State. San Diego State trailed by 16 with about five minutes left in the first half before outscoring the Broncos, 64-31 the rest of the way. KJ Feagin added 21 points and six rebounds for the Aztecs, who made 15 3-pointers and shot 49.1% from the field.

NHL-SCHEDULE
Devils surprise Blues
UNDATED (AP) — The St. Louis Blues’ eight-game winning streak has been stopped by an unlikely team.
Dakota Mermis scored his first NHL goal and fellow defenseman Connor Carrick got his first of the season as the Devils doubled up the Blues, 4-2. Cory Schneider made 31 saves to help the worst team in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division end a 12-game skid against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Vince Dunn and Jaden Schwartz scored for the Blues, whose winning streak began with a 3-0 victory over New Jersey on Feb. 18.

Elsewhere on NHL ice:
— Connor Hellebuyck (HEH’-leh-buhk) picked up his league-leading sixth shutout of the season by handling 29 shots in the Jets’ 4-0 win over the Golden Knights. Patrik Laine (LY’-nay) and Nikolaj Ehlers (NIH’-koh-ly EE’-lurz) each had a goal and an assist, while Kyle Connor added his team-high 36th goal to help Winnipeg prevent Vegas from padding its two-point lead over Edmonton in the Pacific Division.

— The Avalanche remain two points behind the West-leading Blues after Zack MacEwen scored twice in the Canucks’ 6-3 win over Colorado. J.T. Miller and Antoine Roussel had a goal and an assist as Vancouver ended a four-game losing streak.
Matthew Tkachuk (kah-CHUHK’) assisted on goals by Johnny Gaudreau, T.J. Brodie and Mikael Backlund in the Flames’ 3-2 win against the Coyotes. Calgary has gone 6-3-1 in its last 10 to move within three points of the Pacific Division-leading Knights.

— Carter Rowney and Adam Henrique (hen-REEK’) did the scoring for the Ducks as they sent the Maple Leafs to their third consecutive loss. 2-1. John Gibson made 26 saves before coming off with an apparent injury midway through the third period.
— Tyler Bertuzzi and Robby Fabbri (FAB’-ree) scored to give the Red Wings a 2-0 lead in a 2-1 victory over the Blackhawks. Jonathan Bernier stopped 32 shots for Detroit, which has a league-low 37 points.

MLB-NEWS
Yanks’ Judge has broken rib
UNDATED (AP) — New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has a broken rib that could require surgery, leaving doubt when he’ll be back in the lineup. Manager Aaron Boone says he thought the star right fielder hurt himself making a diving catch late last season. Judge will rest two weeks while recovering from the stress fracture to his first right rib. He hasn’t played in any spring training games while dealing with soreness in his right pectoral muscle and shoulder. Since winning the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year award, Judge has been limited to 112 games in 2018 because of a broken right wrist and to 102 games last year due to a strained left oblique.

In other MLB news:
— Christian Yelich (YEH’-lihch) has finalized a $215 million, nine-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. His new deal adds seven years and $187.25 million to his current contract. Yelich won the NL batting title and MVP award in 2018 as the Brewers reached Game 7 of the NL Championship Series.

— One day after signing with the Red Sox, pitcher Collin McHugh says he regrets he didn’t do more to stop the Astros from breaking sign stealing rules in 2017 and 2018. McHugh is worried about the impact of the Astros’ actions on young fans. He said pitchers were led to believe other teams were stealing the Astros’ signs.

— Amid widespread concern about the coronavirus, Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish decided to be extra careful after he developed a cough this week. The Japanese right-hander visited with at least two doctors and stayed away from the team for a day before throwing three innings in a simulated game. Darvish said he feels good now, but he’s still coughing a little bit.

— Diamondbacks infielder Domingo Leyba has been suspended 80 games for a violation of baseball’s performance-enhancing drug program. The 24-year-old from the Dominican Republic played 21 games with the Diamondbacks last season, hitting .280 with five RBIs.

— Tim Tebow has been reassigned to minor league camp by the Mets after going 2-for-13 in spring training, including his first extra-base hit in four years of exhibition play. The 32-year-old outfielder batted .163 in 77 games last season at Triple-A Syracuse in his second straight injury-shortened season.

NFL-NEWS
Pay bump for Chargers’ Ekeler
UNDATED (AP) — Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler (EHK’-lur) has been rewarded with a four-year, $24.5 million contract that includes $15 million guaranteed. Ekeler had a breakout season while scoring 11 touchdowns for the Chargers last season, finishing seventh in the league and fourth in the AFC this season with 1,550 scrimmage yards. He has gone from an undrafted rookie in 2017 to special teams standout before becoming a featured part of the Los Angeles backfield.

PGA-BAY HILL
Hatton, Kang share Palmer lead
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tyrrell Hatton and Sung Kang are co-leaders at the midway point of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. Hatton fired a 3-under 39 and Kang shot a 68 that puts them 7 under through two rounds, one stroke ahead of Danny Lee. Matt Every ballooned to an 83 that allowed him to join the wrong list in PGA Tour annals by going from the 18-hole lead to the weekend off. Rory McIlroy is two strokes back following a 73, tying him with Harris English and Sungjae Im. Jason Day had to withdraw after five holes Friday because of back issues that have hampered him in recent years.

PGA-PLAYERS-WOODS
Tiger still not ready, will miss The Players Championship
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods will miss The Players Championship for the first time when not recovering from any of his nine surgeries. His agent says Woods is still bothered by a back issue but adds that it’s not a long-term concern.
Woods decided at the last minute not to play the World Golf Championships event in Mexico and has skipped last week’s Honda Classic and this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, where he has won a record eight times.

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS-HOAG CLASSIC
Qualifier leads at Newport Beach
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Monday qualifier David Morland IV fired a 10-under 61 at Newport Beach Country Club to take a two-stroke lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ Hoag Classic. Morland had five birdies on each nine, closing with a birdie on the par-5 18th. He was a stroke off the course record set by Tom Purtzer in 2004 and matched by Nick Price in 2011 and Duffy Waldorf in 2015. Defending Charles Schwab Cup champion Scott McCarron and Ken Duke are tied for second.

GOLF-PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM
Sorenstam, Player to be White House honorees
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House has announced that World Golf Hall of Famers Annika Sörenstam and Gary Player will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a White House ceremony on March 23. Player won 24 PGA Tour events and 118 international tournaments. Sörenstam completed her LPGA career with 72 tournament victories.

NHL-OBIT-HENRI RICHARD
Habs great Henri Richard dies
MONTREAL (AP) — Former Montreal Canadiens star Henri Richard (ahn-REE’ ree-SHAHRD’) has died at 84 following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The speedy center won a record 11 Stanley Cups during a 20-year career spent entirely with the Canadiens from 1956-75. Richard played a team-record 1,256 regular-season games and is third in club history with 1,046 points.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTS
More sporting events affected by spreading virus
UNDATED (AP) — A Division III men’s basketball NCAA Tournament game at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University is believed to be the first U.S. sports event held without fans because of the new coronavirus.
Yeshiva University tipped off against Worcester Polytechnic Institute Friday afternoon in an empty gym occupied only by players, employees and media members in the first-round game. Johns Hopkins said it was “prudent” to take this step after Maryland’s recently confirmed COVID-19 cases and CDC guidelines for large gatherings.

In other sports news involving the virus:
— The NHL has sent a memo to teams urging players to limit contact with fans because of the coronavirus outbreak. The move follows a similar directive this month by the NBA, which has told its players to stop high-fiving fans and strangers and avoid taking items for autographs.
— Chicago State plans to send its men’s and women’s basketball teams to Las Vegas for the WAC Tournament next week after canceling regular-season games because of concerns about the spread of the virus.

TRACK AND FIELD-LAWSON CLEARED
Lawson cleared for competition
UNDATED (AP)— American long jumper and sprinter Jarrion Lawson has been notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport that he has been exonerated of a doping offense, according to his agent. The agent says details of the decision are expected to be released next week, adding that Lawson was awarded around $10,000 to help offset his legal fees. Lawson was notified in August 2018 that he tested positive for a substance frequently used in the U.S. to promote the growth of beef cattle. The agent said Lawson ate what they believe to be tainted beef at a Japanese restaurant in Arkansas before the drug test. The drug test has prevented Lawson from competing for 19 months.

OHIO STATE-TEAM DOCTOR
Ohio State settling some suits over doc abuse; cost unclear
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State has reached an unspecified settlement with nearly half of the roughly 350 men who say they were sexually abused decades ago by a team doctor who was jokingly known among some athletes by nicknames like “Dr. Jelly Paws.” The settlement is the first for accusers of the late doctor, Richard Strauss, who they say groped and otherwise mistreated students for two decades while school officials who knew of concerns did little to stop him. Strauss died in 2005.
Ohio State wouldn’t disclose the dollar amount.

Two area teams will play in the semi-finals at Iowa High School Girls State Tournament.

First in Class 2A:  top ranked undefeated Cascade will meet (23-2) 5^th ranked Osage at 10:00 this morning. The winner advances to the state championship game tomorrow evening at 5:00 pm to meet either 2^nd ranked West Hancock or 3^rd ranked North Linn.

In Class 1A: 2^nd ranked Bellevue Marquette Catholic  (24-1) will meet 4^th ranked (24-1) Bishop Garrigan at 3:15, you can hear the game on AM 1370 and kdth.com with pregame at 3:00 pm. The winner plays Saturday night at  7:00 pm  against either top ranked Newell-Fonda or  7^th ranked St. Ansgar.

It will be a match up between the top two teams in the USHL this weekend when the Fighting Saints meet the Chicago Steel for the third and fourth times this season. Dubuque will host the Steel tonight then travel to Chicago tomorrow evening.  Dubuque is 0-2 this season against the Steel, but both losses have been in tight contests.  Going into this evening’s home contest, the Fighting Saints hold a nine-game winning streak on home ice. Chicago has won 11 games in a row.

High School Girls Basketball

Wisconsin Sectional Semi-Finals

D-3

• Platteville 49, Prarie du Chien 43 (Platteville faces Marshall tomorrow afternoon at 1 o’clock at Baraboo in the Final)

D-4

• Aquinas 86, Mineral Point 40

D-5

• River Ridge 62, Wauzeka Steuben 37 (River Ridge meets Bangor at Lacrosse Central tomorrow at 3 o’clock in the final)
• Black Hawk 62, Fall River 45 (Black Hawk meets Oakfield at Beaver Dam in the final)

College Mens Basketball

• Heart Championship Quarterfinals: No. 22 Clarke 73, Missouri Valley 51. Clarke now 23-8 will host Peru State in the semi-finals on Saturday afternoon at 4 o’clock.
• U-W Platteville hosts two first round games in the NCAA Division 3 Tournament this evening: UW Platteville faces Concordia at 7:30 right after Saint Thomas meets Saint Norbert at 5 o’clock.

College Womens Basketball

• Loras opens up NCAA Tournament play this evening. The Duhawks will face U-W Lacrosse at 5 o’clock today in Green Castle, Indiana. The winner meets the Depauw-Webster winner tomorrow evening in the 2^nd
• The Clarke women’s basketball team will play at William Penn tonight in the semi-finals of the Heart Tournament.

No. 19 Ohio State rallies to beat No. 23 Illinois 71-63

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kaleb Wesson scored 19 points to lead No. 19 Ohio State past No. 23 Illinois 71-63. Ayo Dosunmu had 21 points and five assists to pace Illinois, which saw its Big Ten championship hopes fade a bit more after starting the day a half game behind the leaders.

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — The Chicago White Sox have agreed to a five-year, $70 million contract with Yoán Moncada (YOE-ahn mon-CAH-duh) a deal that includes a $25 million club option for 2025 that would make the agreement worth $90 million for six seasons. The White Sox acquired the 24-year-old Moncada in the December 2016 trade that sent Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox. The third baseman broke out last season by setting career highs with a .315 batting average, 25 homers and 79 RBIs.

UNDATED (AP) — The NFL Players Association has sent ballots to members for voting on the proposed collective bargaining agreement. The NFLPA announced that votes would be accepted through March 12 at one minute before midnight. The more than 2,000 members will have a window of about 7 1/2 days to examine the 439-page document and cast a yes or no vote. Ratification requires a simple majority based on the number of returned ballots.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Matt Every owns the lead heading into the second round of the PGA’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, one shot ahead of world No. 1 Rory McIlroy. The 309th-ranked Every played in the tough afternoon wind while firing a 7-under 65. Not only was it Every’s lowest round at Bay Hill, it was 20 shots better than his last round six days ago in the Honda Classic. McIlroy’s 66 came during morning play. He hasn’t finished out of the top 10 in any tournament since September.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry returned to action Thursday against the Toronto Raptors, but the Golden State Warriors couldn’t win a matchup of last year’s NBA Finals. Curry finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in 27 minutes as the Warriors fell to the Raptors, 121-113. The two-time NBA MVP missed Golden State’s previous 58 games after breaking his left hand Oct. 30 versus Phoenix.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Denver 114 Charlotte 112
Final L.A. Clippers 120 Houston 105
Final Philadelphia 125 Sacramento 108
Final Toronto 121 Golden State 113
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 4 Carolina 1
Final Pittsburgh 4 Buffalo 2
Final Tampa Bay 4 Montreal 0
Final OT N-Y Rangers 6 Washington 5
Final Ottawa 4 N-Y Islanders 3
Final OT Boston 2 Florida 1
Final Nashville 2 Dallas 0
Final Chicago 4 Edmonton 3
Final Minnesota 3 San Jose 2
Final SO Los Angeles 1 Toronto 0
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (5)San Diego St. 73 Air Force 60
Final (13)Oregon 90 California 56
Final (19)Ohio St. 71 (23)Illinois 63
Final UConn 77 (21)Houston 71
Final (25)Michigan 82 Nebraska 58

Iowa centerLuka Garza has been named as one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Trophy, which is presented to the most outstanding player.

Garza ranks first nationally with 12 20-point/10-rebound performances and field goals made. His 15 double-doubles are third most in a single-season by a Hawkeye in three decades and the most since 2002.

Garza and the Hawkeyes finish the regular season on Sunday at Illinois.

The Mississippi Valley Conference has announced the members of the boys basketball all divisional teams.

In the Valley Division: Hempstead junior Michael Duax was selected as the Player of the Year. Joining Duax on the first team was Wahlert senior Cael Schmitt. Jamari Smith of Hempstead and Jacob Schockemoel of Wahlert were second team. Honorable Mention honors went to Nick Kaesbauer and Jack Sabers of Hempstead along with Isaac Riley and Nick Bandy of Wahlert.

In the Mississippi Division: Senior High’s Cooper Medinger and Daquan Lewis were chosen to the first team. The Rams Kendrick Watkins-Hogue and Jim Bonifas were second team along with Dylan Johnson of Western Dubuque.

Honorable Mention selections included Cain McWilliams and Tyler Schuster of Senior and Garrett Baumhover and Payton Quagliano of Western Dubuque.

WIAC Honors for UW Platteville

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Senior Carter Voelker was named WIAC Co-Player of the Year and Coach Jeff Gard was named WIAC Coach of the Year. Junior Quentin Shields joined Voelker on the All-WIAC team. Sophomore Kyle Tuma and junior Justin Stovall received Honorable Mention. Stovall and Shields were each named to the All-Defensive team and senior Tanner Hudziak was named to the All-Sportsmanship team. This marks the second time Gard was voted WIAC Coach of the Year.

The Pioneers are hosting first and second round games in the NCAA D-3 Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The Pioneers meet Concordia tomorrow night at 7:30 right after the first game between St. Thomas and Saint Norbert at 5 o’clock.

Former Bellevue Marquette Catholic standout Jordan Eglseder and former Dyersville Beckman Catholic head coach Dan Correy will enter into the Iowa High School Basketball Hall of Fame during ceremonies at the state tournament next week in Des Moines.

Eglseder, a three-time first team all-state post and two-time state tournament qualifier graduated with 1,911 points and 1,109 rebounds before going on to play at UNI, graduating in 2010 with 1,066 points and 656 rebounds in his career.

Correy notched 288 of his 401 career wins at Beckman Catholic where he went to the state tournament in 2002, 2005, and 2007. He also went to state at his first coaching stop at West Point Marquette.

For the second straight season, the Bellevue Marquette Catholic girls basketball team has advanced to the Class 1-A semi-finals at the state tournament in Des Moines.  The 2^nd ranked Mohawks defeated LeMars Gehlan Catholic 60-53. Marquette Catholic had three register double- doubles led by Tori Michel with 19 points 12 rebounds , Miranda Peters had 17 points 18 rebounds and Elle O’Brien added 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Marquette Catholic now 24-and-1 will face another 24-and-1 team Bishop Garrigan, at 3:15 Friday afternoon.

Heart Championship Quarterfinals: No. 20 Clarke 55, (RV) MidAmerica Nazarene 47.Clarke (25-6) advances to Friday’s semifinal round.

The Pride’s Makenna Haase became Clarke’s all-time rebounder tonight. She now has 1,009 rebounds.

Tonight the 23rd ranked Clarke men will host Missouri Valley College in the Heart quarterfinals game time at 6 o’clock.

No. 24 Wisconsin beats Northwestern 63-48, moves into 1st

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Nate Reuvers scored 11 points as No. 24 Wisconsin struggled through a poor offensive performance in a 63-48 win over Northwestern. The win moved the Badgers into a three-way for first place in the Big Ten on Wednesday night. Wisconsin was not effective with the ball against a team that has the 12th-worst defense in the league, giving up more than 70 points a game, and is in last place in the conference. Northwestern dug itself two holes, but only found its way out of only one. Pete Nance led the Wildcats with 14 points.

Regional Women’s Basketball at the Big 10 Tournament

• Wisconsin 71, Illinois 55 (Wisconsin meets #5 seed Rutgers this afternoon)

Hunter Jr helps Purdue beat No. 18 Iowa 77-68

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Eric Hunter Jr., scored a career-high 19 points, and Evan Boudreaux had 14 points and 14 rebounds to help Purdue beat No. 18 Iowa 77-68 on Tuesday night.  Luka Garza led Iowa (20-10, 11-8) with 26 points and 12 rebounds, his 15th double-double of the season.

On his senior night former Wahlert prep Riley Till scored one point on 1-2 shooting from the foul line.

Iowa closes out the regular season Sunday at No. 23 Illinois

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West Virginia past Iowa State 77-71

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Derek Culver and Miles McBride scored 17 points apiece and West Virginia outlasted Iowa State for a 77-71 victory. McBride hit four free throws in the final 16 seconds left to help quell the Cyclones’ last -gasp rally. Iowa State’s Rasir Bolton scored 17 of his game-high 21 points in the second half.

—–

Womens Basketball

The Iowa State women’s basketball team (17-11, 9-8 Big 12) closed out its 2019-20 road slate with a commanding 61-42 victory over Kansas

 Pride Men’s Basketball 

Four members of Clarke men’s basketball team have been named Heart of America Confernce all conference and head coach Jim Blaine has been named the conference basketball coach of the year.

Former Hempstead prep Keith Johnson and Darius Lasley were named first team all-conference.  Nick Marshall was named 2^nd team and former Western Dubuque prep Jordan Lake was honorable mention.

The 23^rd ranked Pride will host Missouri Valley College Thursday evening in the Heart tournament quarterfinals.

—-

Pride Women’s Basketball

Clarke University’s Makenna Haase, former Western Dubuque prep Morgan Pitz (JR/Farley, Iowa) and Tina Ubl have earned spots on the Heart of America Athletic Conference All-Conference Women’s Basketball Team.  Haase and Pitz were both named first-team all-conference while Ubl was cited as a second-team all-conference performer.

The 19^th ranked Pride will host Mid-American Nazarene in the conference quarterfinals tonight.

• The Cascade girls basketball team ran their record to (26-0) after defeating Denver 41-28 in a Class 2-A quarterfinal round game last night at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The top ranked Cougars will face 5th ranked Osage ((23-2) Friday morning at 10 o’clock in the 2-A semi-finals.

• Today, the 2nd ranked Bellevue Marquette Catholic Mohawks (23-1) will play in the 1-A quarterfinals against (15-9) Lemars Gehlan Catholic at 5 o’clock. You can hear the game on AM 1370 and kdth.com with pregame at 4:45 p.m. State Basketball coverage presented by DuTrac.

High School Boys Basketball

Both Dubuque High School teams playing for trips to the state tournament came up short last night in the 4-A Substate Finals last night

• At Clinton: Davenport, North 50, Dubuque, Senior 48 (Senior finishes 19-4)
• At Cedar Rapids: Cedar Falls 53, Dubuque, Hempstead 44 (Hempstead finished 15-8)

Wisconsin Regional 1^st round Scores

D-3

• River Valley 56, Platteville 44

D-4

• Boscobel 62, Lancaster 52
• Iowa-Grant 90, De Soto 57
• River Ridge 56, Wisconsin Heights 48

D-5

• Southwestern 32, Belmont 28
• Potosi 78, Riverdale 31
• Shullsburg 60, North Crawford 47
• Benton 73, Ithaca 31
• Black Hawk 60, Pecatonica 44
• Kickapoo 63, Cassville 44

Winners advance to the Regional semi-finals on Friday night.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Yankees outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are likely to miss New York’s opener at Baltimore on March 26 because of their injuries. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says Judge is having more tests to determine the cause of soreness in the right pectoral area near his shoulder. Stanton strained his right calf on Feb. 26 during defensive drills. New York already was without center fielder Aaron Hicks, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Pitchers Luis Severino and James Paxton also are hurt, and Domingo Germán is suspended for the first two months of the season.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale has soreness in his throwing elbow and has undergone an MRI. Manager Ron Roenicke said Sale felt the soreness Monday, one day after throwing batting practice. Dr. James Andrews will review the MRI. Sale threw about 18 pitches in batting practice Sunday, the first time he faced hitters since Aug,. 13. He went on the injured list with elbow inflammation and finished 6-11 with a 4.40 ERA in 25 starts. Sale already was slated to start this season on the IL after reporting to camp with pneumonia.

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving has undergone surgery to repair the injured right shoulder that ended his first season with the Brooklyn Nets after just 20 games. The Nets say the procedure to relieve the impingement was performed Tuesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery. The team says Irving is expected to make a full recovery. Irving began having trouble with the shoulder as he worked to get back in shape after another injury in the preseason. The pain worsened in November and he missed 26 games before returning in January. Irving signed with Brooklyn in July along with Kevin Durant. Durant is expected to miss the entire season while recovering from surgery to repair his Achilles tendon.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Boston Bruins carry the NHL’s best record to Tampa to meet the Lightning, who sit just four points back. The Lightning snapped a season-high four-game losing streak over the weekend. The NHL’s highest-scoring team, the Edmonton Oilers, continue a three-game road swing in Dallas. Edmonton is 27-6-and-2 in games in which it scores first.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Next week’s flame-lighting ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will go ahead in Greece despite concerns about the virus outbreak. The Greek Olympic committee says it is working closely with national health authorities and will hold meetings to re-evaluate the situation every two days. The committee also says the Greek leg of the torch relay will go ahead. Greece has recorded seven cases of the virus. All of them are linked with people who traveled from Italy.