Update on the latest sports
APCOLLEGE BASKETBALL-NCAA TOURNAMENT
Round of 32 underway
UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA Tournament’s round of 32 is underway with nine double-digit seeds still alive. According to NCAA spokesman David Worlock, that matches the second-highest total of double-digit seeds ever to reach the round of 32.
Ten double-digit seeds advanced that far in 2016. There also were nine double-digit seeds in the round of 32 in 2001 and 2012.
This is the first time four teams seeded 13th or worse made it to the second round.
North Texas plays Villanova Sunday looking to become the first No. 13 seed to reach the Sweet 16 since LaSalle in 2013. Oral Roberts plays Florida trying to become the second No. 15 ever to make it out of the first weekend of the tournament. The other was Florida Gulf Coast’s “Dunk City” team of 2013.
Other South Region games on Sunday pit No. 1 Baylor against No. 9 Wisconsin and No. 3 Arkansas against No. 6 Texas Tech.
Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim’s (BAY’-hymz) son is the team’s top scorer as it heads into a Midwest Regional matchup against Bob Huggins and West Virginia with a Sweet 16 berth on the line. Buddy Boeheim scored 30 points in the No. 11 seed Orange’s first-round victory. The No. 3 seed Mountaineers have their own guy who already poured in 30 in this year’s NCAA Tournament, Miles McBride.
Boeheim vs. Huggins pits two of only six coaches with at least 900 wins in Division I men’s basketball history.
Other Midwest matchups Sunday are Illinois against Loyola Chicago, Houston against Rutgers, and Oklahoma State against Oregon State.
Loyola Chicago chaplain Sister Jean Delores Schmidt gave an inspirational pregame prayer to her team before the eighth-seeded Ramblers took on the top-seeded Illini (ih-LY’-ny).
NBA-NETS-GRIFFIN
Griffin expected to make debut with Nets vs. Wizards
NEW YORK (AP) — Blake Griffin is expected to make his debut for the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night against Washington.
The Nets signed the six-time All-Star on March 8 but wanted to gradually prepare him to play after he had been inactive during his final weeks in Detroit. Griffin has been working out with the Nets but has sat out five games due to what the team called left knee injury management.
But Griffin is listed as probable on the injury report for the game and said Sunday he went through the Nets’ morning shootaround and felt great. He said if he does play, he expects to be on a minutes restriction.
Griffin played in 20 games for the Detroit Pistons this season but none since Feb. 12. The two sides reached a buyout agreement in early March and he signed in Brooklyn after clearing waivers.
NFL-BRONCOS MOVES
CB Kyle Fuller signs with Broncos after being released by Bears
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Former All-Pro cornerback Kyle Fuller is reuniting with coach Vic Fangio in Denver.
Fuller quickly agreed to a one-year, $9.5 million contract with the Broncos on Saturday following his release from the Chicago Bears.
Drafted with the No. 14 overall pick in 2014, Fuller was an All-Pro in 2018 when he tied for the NFL lead with seven interceptions. That was Fangio’s last season as Chicago’s defensive coordinator before he became head coach in Denver. Fuller also made the Pro Bowl the following year when he picked off three passes. He had one interception last season.
The veteran defensive back was entering the final season of the four-year, $56 million deal he signed in 2018 and was set to count $20 million against the Bears’ salary cap in 2021.
Chicago replaced Fuller by signing cornerback Desmond Trufant to a one-year contract Saturday.
Fuller is the second free-agent cornerback to sign with Denver this offseason, joining former Washington starter Ronald Darby, who signed earlier this week. Also, the Broncos reached agreement with their franchised safety Justin Simmons on a four-year, $61 million deal Friday.
