>>’Nova, Kansas, UNC, Gonzaga Get Top Seeds In NCAA Tournament
(Undated) — Villanova, Kansas, North Carolina and Gonzaga are the number-one seeds for the NCAA Tournament. The defending national champion Wildcats are the top-overall seed and number-one in the East Region. The Jayhawks are in the Midwest, the Tar Heels top the East and the Bulldogs are number-one in the West.
>>Northwestern Earns First Tourney Bid
(Evanston, IL) — Northwestern is going to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The Wildcats are the eight seed in the West Region and will clash with ninth-seeded Vanderbilt on Thursday. Northwestern earned its first-ever bid after going 23-and-11 this season.
>>Syracuse, Cal Highlight NCAA Tournament Snubs
(Undated) — Syracuse headlines this year’s list of NCAA Tournament snubs. A year after reaching the Final Four, the Orange failed to receive an at-large bid after going 18-and-14. Others who didn’t receive an invite to the “Big Dance” include Cal, Iowa and Illinois State.
>>Celtics Clobber Bulls
(Boston, MA) — The Bulls were no match for the Celtics in a 100-80 loss in Boston. Jimmy Butler had only five points on 2-of-11 shooting for Chicago, which has dropped five straight to fall to 31-and-35. Dwyane Wade was just 4-of-11 for eight points in defeat. The Bulls visit the Hornets tonight.
>>Blackhawks Double Up Wild
(Chicago, IL) — Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist each as the Blackhawks doubled up the Wild, 4-2. The ‘Hawks pulled within one point of the Wild for the top spot in the Western Conference. Corey Crawford made 42 saves in the victory. Chicago visits Montreal tomorrow.
>>Cactus League Roundup
(Undated) — In Cactus League play, the Cubs suffered a 9-8 loss to the A’s. Kris Bryant homered and plated three in the loss. The White Sox were in split-squad action. One team suffered a 10-8 loss to the Rangers while the other used a 14-run ninth to down the Dodgers, 15-5. Today, the Cubs face the Padres and the White Sox take on the Indians.
>>Team USA Moving On At WBC
(Miami, FL) — Team USA is moving on to the second round of the World Baseball Classic. The Americans advanced with an 8-0 win over Canada in Miami on Sunday. Nolan Arenado and Buster Posey homered for Team USA. The U.S. went 2-and-1 in Pool C play and will be back in action in San Diego on Wednesday.
>>Cards Settle For 9-All Tie With Marlins
(Jupiter, FL) — Robby Rowland’s wild pitch allowed the tying run to score in a four-run bottom of the ninth as the Cardinals settled for a 9-all tie with the host Marlins in Jupiter. Matt Adams and Paul DeJong both homered for St. Louis, which blew leads of 5-1 and 8-3. The Cardinals will host the Astros today.
>>Cardinals’ Molina Blasts MLB Over WBC Security
(Undated) — Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina is blasting Major League Baseball for a lack of security at the World Baseball Classic. He posted on Instagram that MLB is more interested in making money than protecting the players’ families. This after a fan incident in the family section Saturday in Mexico.
>>Illinois Hosts Valpo In NIT Tomorrow
(Champaign, IL) — Illinois is headed to the NIT. The Fighting Illini are seeded second and will go up against seventh-seeded Valparaiso in the first round tomorrow night at the State Farm Center. Illinois is 18-and-14 after losing to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament. The Crusaders are 24-and-8.
>>Truex Wins Kobalt 400
(Las Vegas, NV) — Martin Truex Jr. took the checkered flag at the Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Truex Jr. won all three stages and led 150 of the 267 laps. Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Joey Logan and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five. Kyle Busch and Joey Logano were involved in a scuffle after the race.