© Provided by Perform Media Channels Limited COLUMBIA, S.C. — This is how you can get an approximation of how 7-6, 310-pound UCF center Tacko Fall impacts a basketball game. Duke forward Zion Williamson — the biggest star college basketball has seen in a generation — scored 32 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, passed for four assists and seemed almost not to matter in the final outcome of the game. Until, of course, he did. This second-round NCAA Tournament East Region game was entirely defined by Fall. It could comfortably be ranked as one of the great games in the history of the event, but it also stood as unique among the thousands that have filled March Madness. Entirely because of Tacko....

Video by NFL.comNew England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski began his preparations for life after football before he'd ended his career - or had publicly decided about ending his career. He signed with a film and TV production company prior to Super Bowl LIII, according to NFL Network's Mike Giardi.Gronkowski has shown interest in taking on a TV or movie personality, much like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson did in transitioning from WWE to movies. Gronk has appeared movies called "Boss Level" (2019), "American Violence" (2017) and "You Can't Have It" (2017). The tight end also made a cameo in WWE, a pro wrestling league, in April 2017.He announced his retirement on Sunday, and will end his career after nine seasons, five Pro Bowls and three Super Bowl wins....

Johnny Manziel is extremely pumped up to be playing in his first AAF game. He was put into the starting lineup midway through the second quarter Sunday for the Memphis Express against the Birmingham Iron and looked darn good on his lone first-half drive.RELATED:  Manziel shinesAs Manziel opened up the second half under center, he endured a sack and exchanged words with an Iron defender who flashed the “money” sign.One play later, things escalated a bit, and Manziel had to be separated following more tough talk.Based on the way Mike Singletary reacted to Vernon Davis many years ago, one wonders if the head coach will be excited about Manziel’s extracurricular activities.Related slideshow: Ranking top 20 NFL draft classes (provided by imagn)...

© Photo by Elsa/Getty Images The first weekend of the 2019 NCAA men’s basketball tournament is over, and the Sweet 16 matchups are set. The top three seeds in all four brackets are still alive, with action resuming on Thursday and Friday. The tournament has been mostly chalk so far, with only two teams seeded below four in the Sweet 16 — No. 5 Auburn in the Midwest Region, and No. 12 Oregon in the West. Regional semifinal games will be played in Washington D.C. (East), Anaheim, Calif. (West), Kansas City, MO (Midwest) and Louisville (South). Thursday features West Region No. 1 seed Gonzaga taking on Florida State (7:09 p.m. ET, CBS), with South Region top dog Virginia battling No. 12 Oregon, the lowest seed remaining in the tournament (9:59 p.m., TBS)....

When general manager Dave Gettleman took the proposed trade of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the desk of New York Giants co-owner John Mara, he was met with unexpected resistance.Both Mara and fellow co-owner, Steve Tisch, didn't want to trade Beckham initially, but Gettleman and head coach Pat Shurmur eventually sold them on the idea.Mara and Tisch later signed off. Reluctantly."The [Browns] made an offer that Dave and Pat found compelling and we ultimately approved it," Mara told reporters from the NFL Owners' Meetings in Arizona. "It was not an easy decision.""Not an easy decision at all," Tisch followed."It was reluctant approval because I like Odell," Mara added.For Mara, the decision to trade Odell became personal. When he informed his grandchildren of the trade, they cried. And to this day, one is still giving him the cold shoulder....

© Harry How/Getty Images Matt Mooney #13 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders drives past Montell McRae #1 of the Buffalo Bulls during the first half of their second round game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at BOK Center on March 24, 2019 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Texas Tech dominated on defense once again and, boosted by Jarrett Culver's 16 points and 10 rebounds, shut down Buffalo 78-58 Sunday to reach the Sweet 16 for the second straight year.BOX SCORE:  TEXAS TECH 78, BUFFALO 58RELATED:   Men’s NCAA Tournament bracket, matchups, moreThe third-seeded Red Raiders (28-6) broke away with a 27-3 burst that spanned both halves. They'll next face Michigan in the West Regional semifinals....

The Memphis Express got some poor play from quarterback Brandon Silvers on Sunday, prompting head coach Mike Singletary to call on Johnny Manziel.Manziel entered the game midway through the second quarter, down 16-8, as Express fans chanted, “Johnny! Johnny! Johnny!”His first play of the game was a quarterback run to the right, and Manziel gained a first down on the play much to the delight of the fans in attendance.The Iron defense certainly has to mind its Ps and Qs with Manziel under center, because he still has a penchant to run on any given play. Yet after a few plays in which Manziel failed to make anything happen through the air, he came up with this beauty of a throw.That throw led to a field-goal attempt for Memphis. Unfortunately, it went wide right....

Before Zion Williamson’s iron-willed driving layup, R.J. Barrett’s timely put-back and Aubrey Dawkins’ physics-defying missed tip-in, there was another play in Sunday’s Duke-UCF classic that changed the course of history.It was a play that will haunt UCF players and coaches for years anytime they think of the seismic upset that slipped through their fingers. It was a play that also will be hailed as the turning point in Duke’s NCAA tournament should the top-ranked Blue Devils go on to capture the national title.Just under two minutes remained in Duke’s 77-76 victory when UCF’s Dayon Griffin corralled the rebound of a Tre Jones’ missed 3-pointer. Burning clock would have been the prudent move with the Golden Knights ahead by four points, but Griffin saw an opportunity for a 2-on-1 fast break and couldn’t resist trying to seize it....

Video by NFL.comRob Gronkowski will not be returning to the field.The 29-year-old tight end announced his retirement Sunday on Instagram. He spent all nine of his NFL seasons with the Patriots.RELATED: Gronkowski retires“It’s time to move forward and move forward with a big smile on my face knowing that the New England Patriots organization, Pats nation and all my fans will truly be a big part of my heart for the rest of my life,” Gronkowski wrote. “It was truly an incredible honor to play for such a great, established organization.”Gronkowski, who struggled with injuries throughout his career, won three Super Bowls and made five Pro Bowls during his time with New England.Gronkowski finishes his career with 521 regular-season catches for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns....

© Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports Sunday’s NCAA Tournament classic between Duke and UCF was never going to be an ordinary game for Mike Krzyzewski.RELATED:   Men’s NCAA Tournament bracket, matchups, more Coach K was coaching against Johnny Dawkins, one of his most iconic players and someone credited for jump-starting the Duke program in the 1980s. That alone ensured that Krzyzewski was going to have a lot of respect for his opponents, and it showed after the narrow 77-76 victory, as Krzyzewski consoled crying UCF players after their heartbreaking defeat.Krzyzewski was effusive in his praise for Dawkins and UCF in his postgame press conference.Krzyzewski reserved arguably his highest praise for Dawkins’ son Aubrey, who led UCF with 32 points and dominated the game for the Knights....

Duke’s win over UCF gave us everything we could’ve ever wanted in the ultimate Zion Williamson vs. Tacko Fall matchup. With college basketball’s highest leaper against the country’s tallest basketball player, we were treated to a delightful display of larger-than-life heroes. And it came down to the dang buzzer. In the 77-76 win for the Blue Devils, Zion scored 32 points on 12-of-24 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds. Fall, who fell into foul trouble early and fouled out at the end of regulation, scored 15 points with six rebounds. With a spot on the Sweet 16 on the line in the closing moments, it was a play involving both that proved decisive. Here were a few of their best plays, which we will forever cherish in what’ll be remembered as the battle of Goliath vs. Way Bigger Goliath....

After grinding through a ninth NFL season and coming out on top, the Patriots tight end leaves the game as an undisputed all-timer. He’s famed for his outsized persona, but those who worked closest with him praise his toughness, his commitment and, most of all, his football acumen. 

Australia have appointed Troy Cooley as bowling coach for their Ashes defence, with Adam Griffith fulfilling the role during the World Cup.Cooley was England's bowling coach when they beat Australia at home in 2005 for their first Ashes win since 1986-87 and then carried out the job for Australia in 2006-07 as the Baggy Greens regained the urn.The 53-year-old has been working with Australia's ODI team since the resignation of David Saker in February, helping the team win 3-2 in India and move 2-0 up in their five-match series against Pakistan.Griffith will take leave from his position as Tasmania head coach to assist Australia during the World Cup, a tournament Justin Langer's men will be defending having triumphed on home soil in 2015....

© Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils shoots the ball against the UCF Knights during the first half in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Zion Williamson took on 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall at the end and won, and top-seeded Duke survived when two last-ditch shots by UCF rolled off the rim. Aubrey Dawkins finished with 32 points, but his tip-in try just missed Sunday, and Duke advanced with a 77-76 victory to reach the Sweet 16.BOX SCORE:  DUKE 77, CENTRAL FLORIDA 76 RELATED:   Men’s NCAA Tournament bracket, matchups, moreWilliamson had 32 points, including a layup over Fall with 14.4 seconds left and his team trailing 76-73. Williamson was fouled and missed the free throw, but RJ Barrett scored on a putback to put Blue Devils (31-5) ahead....

© Provided by Oath Inc. Zion Williamson Tacko Fall (Getty) Much was made of the anticipated battle at the rim between Duke superstar Zion Williamson and 7-6 UCF center Tacko Fall ahead of Sunday’s second-round NCAA tournament matchup.The two have delivered on that promise.After winning his 33rd opening tip in 33 games this season, Fall quickly put on display the dilemma his size presents for opposing defenses.After seeing his opening hook shot bounce off the rim, Fall casually grabbed the rebound over a pair of Duke defenders for an easy one-handed slam to give the Knights the first bucket of the game.While all eyes were on the post matchup, Williamson opened the game by showing off his range. The first Duke bucket of the game came courtesy of a Williamson 3-pointer....

Video by NFL.comGronk went out on top, calling it a career after his third NFL title.Rob Gronkowski is going out on top. The game-changing tight end announced his retirement from the NFL on Sunday, less than two months after his New England Patriots won Super Bowl 53. Gronkowski announced his retirement on Instagram. Gronkowski steps away from the game at 29 years old but with plenty of miles on his odometer. The oft-injured All-Pro struggled through a long list of maladies through his NFL career, dealing with injuries to his back, forearm, groin, and knees that often kept him from the field — he missed 29 regular season games in his nine seasons in New England. While he claimed he was the healthiest he’d been all season before the Super Bowl, he decided against throwing his body into the fire for one more season, leaving a massive hole in the Patriots’ passing attack in the process....

Fans from the current top eight clubs in the Sky Bet Championship predict their Sky Bet Championship fates this season...Di Cunningham (@di_ceee), Proud CanariesHow has your season been so far?Stellar. With each game played we have seen our stock grow. Faster Farkeball. Uncompromising resilience. Plus flair and teamwork. On the few occasions we have lost, we have still looked champions.What are your hopes for the rest of the season?That we keep delivering fantastic football whatever the opposition, and that Emi Buendia survives the constant oafish tackles and takes them as a compliment.Where do you hope to finish?1st.Where do you expect to finish? 1st. We will be champions.Ian Rands (@Unitedite), A United View...

LOS ANGELES -- With the playoffs already out of the picture, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers played for pride in Sunday's 111-106 win over the Sacramento Kings -- and to appease the mythical basketball gods."I would never cheat myself," James told Spectrum SportsNet in his on-court interview after recording his eighth triple-double of the season (and 81st of his career) with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. "I know we're out the playoff race, but if I'm on the court I'm going to play how I play, and I play to win. So, I will never cheat the game. There's such a thing called 'game gods.' And they're watching no matter what you're doing, and it's our obligation to go out and be a professional, and that's what I'm about."...

We're midway through the second round of the women's NCAA tournament. Mechelle Voepel and Charlie Creme of espnW weigh in on the best and worst of Sunday and look ahead to what we might expect from Monday's matchups.Voepel: Miami's post duo of redshirt junior Beatrice Mompremier and senior Emese Hof came into their second-round game against Arizona State averaging 31.5 points per game. Hof was shooting 58.9 percent from the field, Mompremier 53.7. They were playing on their home court. So what happened? Why did they struggle so much?Credit has to go to Arizona State's post defense, led by Kianna Ibis and Charnea Johnson-Chapman. The Sun Devils are holding opponents to 57.2 PPG and 40.2 percent shooting this season. So you knew they were going to be tough on the Hurricanes. Still, nobody expected Mompremier and Hof to score just 12 points combined on a shockingly low 29.4 percent shooting from the field (5 of 17). Hof's last miss, to end the game, rolled around the rim and fell off, sadly summing up the game for the Hurricanes....

Callum Hudson-Odoi says his boyhood friend Jadon Sancho has played a key role in helping him adapt to the England senior squad.Chelsea winger Hudson-Odoi, 18, had initially joined up with England's U21 team, but was subsequently called up by Gareth Southgate for the first time after multiple players withdrew from his squad.Three days later, Hudson-Odoi - yet to start a Premier League match - became England's youngest debutant in a competitive international match - breaking a 65-year-old record - in Friday's 5-0 win over the Czech Republic.Hudson-Odoi joined Sancho, also 18, starting his first competitive game for England, on the Wembley pitch with 20 minutes to go on Friday and played a pivotal role in the team's fifth goal....

New York Giants co-owner John Mara said on Sunday he was reluctant to sign off on the decision to trade Odell Beckham Jr to the Cleveland Browns earlier this month.The Browns sent the Giants their first-round pick (17th overall), a third-rounder and Jabrill Peppers, who was drafted 25th overall in 2017, in return for Beckham. General manager Dave Gettleman told reporters last week that it was an offer he "couldn't refuse", despite his previous statement that the team did not sign Beckham to an extension only to trade him.Making his first public comments since making the trade, Mara said at the NFL owners' meetings in Phoenix that it was a difficult decision to agree to the trade."I will tell you that it was a reluctant approval on my part because I happen to like Odell very much," Mara said. "I recognise the unique talent that he has. It is not easy to trade that player to another team....

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors have won at least 50 games in each of the past six seasons after their 121-114 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. It's an accomplishment the back-to-back NBA champions take a great deal of pride in as they finish the end of another long regular season in the midst of a historic run."It's kind of surreal, to be honest," Warriors guard Stephen Curry said after the game. "You talk about the history of the organization, how hard it is to win NBA games, win championships and string together [wins] year after year after year. It takes a collection of talented guys, a commitment to trying to put together the best team possible every year. That's front office, coaching staff, all the way down. So I think I have a true appreciation for what we've been able to do and want to continue it for as long as we can."...

BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics have just eight games remaining in their regular season.Perhaps they need someone to tell them that.After dropping their fourth game in a row -- losing 115-96 to the San Antonio Spurs at TD Garden on Sunday night -- Boston is now two full games behind the Indiana Pacers for home court in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, and remains mired in the same cycle of inconsistency that has dogged them all season long.Rather than being concerned about it, though, the Celtics remain convinced -- or, at minimum, are projecting an air of confidence -- that, when the playoffs begin, they will be just fine."We're all trying to -- we got a lot of guys back, and we're all trying to figure out exactly what everybody's favorite things to do and what spots that everybody excels at and make sure we get everybody in the right position," Celtics guard Marcus Smart said. "We're still fooling with it. But I see great progress, and I'm excited, I'm ecstatic, and I'm happy with what we're doing....

The injury to Fernandinho could have derailed Manchester City's Premier League title bid but that hasn't happened. It's thanks to the brilliance of Ilkay Gundogan that they remain on track, writes Adam Bate. Amid the celebrations that followed the Carabao Cup final penalty shootout victory over Chelsea last month, there was a major concern for Manchester City supporters. Immediately after the game, Pep Guardiola revealed that injuries to the key duo of Aymeric Laporte and Fernandinho would be keeping them out of action "for weeks" to come.Laporte had started more Premier League games for City than any other outfield player this season but at least there were obvious replacements. It was the loss of Fernandinho that was seen as potentially decisive in the title race. Up to that point, City had played only two Premier League games all season without the Brazilian - and they had lost them both....

Arsenal and England midfielder Jordan Nobbs is set to miss the World Cup this summer after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Here, Nobbs opens up to Adam Bate about the mental trauma involved and why she is determined to remain involved... This was supposed to be her World Cup.Jordan Nobbs has won 53 caps, been named England player of the year and lifted 11 trophies with Arsenal. But she found herself on the fringes of England's third-place finish in 2015, when a torn hamstring badly affected her preparation for the tournament.This was going to be different. Her time. Instead, she has been cheated out of it again after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in November.Speaking to Nobbs at Sky Studios, she is well into her rehabilitation - what she calls "the really boring part" - and has everything mapped out from here. The first task was to begin walking properly again. The next challenge was getting back on the bike. The focus for now is on straightforward strength work as the load on the knee is slowly increased....

David Price tells Sky Sports about overcoming heavyweight heartache, casting an eye over American rivals, and punishing preparation for a must-win night.Liverpool's Price is finished with plotting. A heavyweight who once had his entire career mapped out has, in recent years, had to withdraw his long-focus and look at where he could be two or three fights down the line.Now, after defeats to the likes of Alexander Povetkin and Sergey Kuzmin, both quality operators, Price is in a position where he just must win, and then see what happens next. It is not a spot that the popular heavyweight envisaged for himself, but career strategies rarely work in boxing, and Price is now fully aware of that.Not too long ago, Price was positioned as the man to welcome in a post-Klitschko era following a decade of dominance from the Ukrainian monsters. Two consecutive defeats to Tony Thompson six years ago cast doubts on the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist, and after enduring stoppage losses to Erkan Teper and Christian Hammer between 2015 and 2017, Price's credentials to rule the division contained little value....

Who has been the Premier League signing of the season? Sky Sports' football journalists have their say...In a list dominated by teams outside of the top four, our writers give their detailed verdicts on who they think has made the biggest impact since moving in the summer.It seems as though every time I've covered Newcastle this season, Salomon Rondon has been a key component in a positive result for Rafa Benitez's men. The 29-year-old has fired 10 goals and racked up five assists in what is turning into a comfortable season without relegation fear for the Toon. He leads the line with great authority, in a style that brings the best out of his team-mates in forward areas, plus, he's added more goals to his game this season. Fans will be hoping his loan deal will become permanent over the summer. (Lewis Jones)...

Giants co-owner John Mara said he was "reluctant" to trade wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns, according to ESPN's Jordan Raanan. Beckham was sent to Cleveland on March 12 in exchange for safety Jabrill Peppers, a first-round pick and a third-round pick."I will tell you it was a reluctant approval on my part because I happen to like Odell [Beckham Jr.] very much, and I recognize the unique talent that he has," Mara said at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix. "It's not easy to trade that player to another team... I hope he has a great career with the Browns. It makes it a little easier that he's not in our conference."Beckham signed a five-year, $95 million contract extension with the Giants in August 2018. The LSU product has been one of the NFL's most electrifying receivers since entering the league in 2014, tallying 390 receptions and 44 touchdowns in 59 career games. ...

The Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger are working on a “significant” contract extension, which is likely to be his last, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said Sunday.Doubling down on previous comments regarding Roethlisberger’s voice as the leader of the Steelers, Colbert also said: “We feel comfortable knowing Ben is our quarterback and our leader.”Pittsburgh made a conscious choice to back Roethlisberger over other stars this offseason. Both Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell have expressed their frustration with Big Ben, and both of them are now with other organizations.Roethlisberger, 37, would be entering the final year of his current contract and is set to count $23.2 million against the cap if he does not land an extension....

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Good Vols were just about as good as any team remaining in this tournament can be Sunday – swarming on defense, rebounding, running, passing for a good shot and then passing again for a great shot.That Tennessee team dismantled Iowa in 15 minutes and 38 seconds of basketball near-perfection at Nationwide Arena, building a 44-19 lead and carving out what looked like a smooth path to the Sweet 16.The Bad Vols nearly blew it. Nearly made dubious NCAA Tournament history. Nearly made any previous Rick Barnes setback in this event look like nothing. South Region No. 10 seed Iowa outscored the No. 2 seed Vols 39-17 over the next 16 minutes and 59 seconds, getting within three, and then in the final moments of regulation – moments of furious, pressure-packed basketball – the Hawkeyes tied it and got it to overtime....

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Admiral Schofield ran around the court in sheer joy, waving a March Madness towel after Tennessee made it back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016. The rest of the Volunteers? Just trying to breathe normally again. Tennessee avoided one of the biggest meltdowns in NCAA Tournament history Sunday, letting a 25-point lead slip away before SEC player of the year Grant Williams asserted himself in overtime for an 83-77 victory over Iowa.BOX SCORE: TENNESSEE 83, IOWA 77 (OT) RELATED: Men’s NCAA Tournament bracket, matchups, more None of the Volunteers (31-5) saw that coming, not after they'd raced ahead 44-19 in a sizzling first half they dominated every which way....

© (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) CAPTION: COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 24: Nassir Little #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after a play against the Washington Huskies during their game in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Luke Maye and Nassir Little each scored 20 points and top-seeded North Carolina breezed into the Sweet 16, beating Washington 81-59 Sunday. The Tar Heels (29-6) never trailed and moved on to face fifth-seeded Auburn on Friday in a Midwest Regional semifinal.Last year, one season removed from its national championship, North Carolina was eliminated in the second round in a rout by Texas A&M. The Tar Heels were not going to let it happen again. ...

​​North Carolina is in the midst of their second round ​NCAA Tournament matchup against Washington. They are currently playing without sophomore forward Garrison Brooks, who was seen heading to the locker room in the first half.Brooks took an elbow to the mouth early on in the game and didn't return during the first half of the game. His father was seen walking into the tunnel towards the locker room later in the half. ​​It turns out that Brooks suffered a lacerated lip and has a lost one tooth as a result of the elbow to the face, with a second tooth remaining loose, and potentially fractured. It remains unclear whether he will return to the game. Brooks had scored 2 points and contributed a pair of rebounds as well prior to exiting the game. In the Tar Heels' first round matchup, he scored 10 points and added 8 rebounds in the win over Iona. ...

Three-fourths of the field that remained in the NCAA tournament on Thursday was eliminated by the end of Sunday's contests, with just 16 teams still alive for the national championship.All four No. 1 seeds still have a shot to win the Big Dance, while Oregon is the only double-digit seed left from the field of 68. Check out the full Sweet 16 field below:East RegionalNo. 1 DukeNo. 2 Michigan StateNo. 3 LSU No. 4 Virginia TechWest Regional No. 1 GonzagaNo. 2 MichiganNo. 3 Texas Tech No. 4 Florida StateSouth Regional No. 1 VirginiaNo. 2 TennesseeNo. 3 PurdueNo. 12 OregonMidwest RegionalNo. 1 North CarolinaNo. 2 KentuckyNo. 3 HoustonNo. 5 Auburn...

UCF battled Duke within one point on Sunday night as the Blue Devils escaped with a 77-76 win in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Tacko Fall and the Knights held a 74-70 lead with two minutes remaining, but couldnt close the door on Zion Williamson and Co. Knights head coach Johnny Dawkins addressed his team in UCF's locker room postgame. After a heartbreaking defeat, Dawkins provided some words of wisdom, comforting his team after a valient effort. "We end in tears. That's because we invested so much in each other," Dawkins told the Knights. "I love you guys. It's been amazing coaching this group, and for us, we got a lot of good memories, we accomplished a lot of amazing things this year."...

Eight teams have booked their tickets to the Sweet 16, but we only saw one “upset” Sunday, with a thrilling affair between the Miami Hurricanes and the advancing Arizona State Sun Devils. The three 4–5 matchups were among the best games of the day while Buffalo made UConn look more mortal than we’re used to. So which teams strengthened their case to get to Tampa? Let’s get into it.Sophia Elenga is likely still breathing a sigh of relief after nearly costing the Sun Devils their shot at the Sweet 16. With the score knotted at 55 and about 13 seconds left, Elenga grabbed an offensive rebound off a miss and clanked a close-range shot instead of kicking it back out. Miami gratefully grabbed the board off the miss and had a chance to take the last shot for the win....

TULSA, Okla. — Texas Tech assistant Mark Adams is a former boxer, so at times he relates that bruising sport to the one he now coaches: basketball. He squats into a boxer’s stance, thrusts his fists playfully toward players like the stinging bee and shuffles his feet like the floating butterfly. On Sunday afternoon, Texas Tech’s defense embodied its hardnosed assistant coach and defensive guru. The Red Raiders knocked Buffalo out of the NCAA tournament ring with a bruising defensive effort in a 78–58 win, providing more proof that the nation’s most efficient defense is impenetrable even against the best of offensive systems.Afterward, Adams traded in his boxing act for a triumphant gesture, extending his right index finger and thumb––the “Guns Up” pistol––as the band played the school’s alma mater. Thousands of red-clad fans gave this defensive juggernaut a standing ovation in celebration of the school’s first-ever consecutive trips to the Sweet 16, accomplished on this day after the Red Raiders swallowed one of the country’s fastest offenses in a meeting of college basketball’s extremes. “We proved that our defense is the real deal,” guard Matt Mooney said....

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett walked off the court with arms wrapped around one another. Williamson leaned in, speaking firmly into Barrett's ear to be heard above the clamor in the stands. Barrett shook his head back and forth, disbelieving.The scoreboard read Duke 77, UCF 76, and for all the hype surrounding this Blue Devils team over the past six months, those numbers still felt incongruent with the reality of the prior 40 minutes. Duke had taken every punch, and here the Blue Devils were, still standing."We're not going home, man," Williamson told his teammate. "It's me and you out here, two brothers. Let's keep it going."The game will be remembered for Tacko Fall's presence in the paint, for Williamson's 3-pointers, for UCF daring Tre Jones to shoot and Duke begging Aubrey Dawkins to miss. But what will live on, what could take up the entirety of this year's "One Shining Moment" montage, what Duke and UCF fans will be talking about decades from now, is the final two minutes of drama, from an official's review to a physics-defying roll around the rim on the final shot....

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- New York Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch consider the trade of Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns among the toughest moves they have ever made. Mara even insisted that he gave a "reluctant approval" after thinking about it on a long ride home from work.The Giants traded Beckham, who they have said on multiple occasions is a transcendent talent, for a first-round pick, third-round pick and safety Jabrill Peppers. The move came seven months after Beckham received a five-year deal worth up to $98.5 million. It resulted in the team paying $21.5 million for 12 games in 2018 and a $16 million dead-money cap hit this year.Mara and Tisch conceded that those numbers made it even more difficult to pull the trigger....

The NCAA tournament can produce the highest of highs for the winning team. For the losing team, it can produce the ultimate agony.

© (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) CAPTION: COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 24: Lamonte Turner #1 and Jordan Bowden #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers react after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 83-77 in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Tennessee avoided one of the biggest meltdowns in NCAA Tournament history Sunday, letting a 25-point lead slip away before two-time SEC player of the year Grant Williams scored 6 points in overtime for an 83-77 victory over Iowa. The Volunteers (31-5) made it back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016, though there were more tense moments than the Vols imagined after they ran off to a 44-19 lead in the opening half. ...

The NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series is making its way back to the East Coast after a big weekend in California. Sunday's STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway will be the first short-track race of the season.Clint Bowyer took home the victory last year, but he has struggled this season. He finished 38th in last weekend's Auto Club 400, while Kyle Busch secured his 200th career NASCAR national series win. Busch became the first driver of the 2019 season with more than one checkered flag.MORE: Watch the STP 500 live & on demand with fuboTV (7-day trial) Joey Logano will start on the pole for the STP 500, followed by Aric Almirola, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin. (The full starting lineup can be found here.)...

PHOENIX -- New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL on Sunday. His next stop will be Canton, Ohio, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame."There's never been a more dangerous tight end than Gronk, an intimidating presence who's been an outstanding receiver and blocker," said John McClain, the longtime NFL columnist from the Houston Chronicle who has a Hall of Fame vote. "The Patriots won't be as much fun to watch without him. I think he's a lock to be voted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.”ESPN's Sal Paolantonio, who also has a Hall of Fame vote, agrees.Rob Gronkowski announces retirement• Patriots tight end 'grateful for opportunity' » • Brady, Edelman, others share farewells » • HOF voters: Rob's worthy of first ballot » • Why Gronk's decision wasn't an easy one » • Gronk's greatest catches, plus Brady's fave » • The majesty of the Gronk Spike | Video...

The Sweet 16 field will be completed on Sunday night, with three quarters of the tournament teams eliminated in the first weekend. The remaining 16 teams will begin their respective regionals on Thursday night, beginning with Florida State and Gonzaga squaring off at 7:29 ET. Zion Williamson and Duke are the biggest favorites in the Sweet 16 as of now, opening at -8 over Virginia Tech. Check out the rest of the Sweet 16 opening lines below. 7:09 p.m. ET: Gonzaga -6.5 vs. Florida State  7:29 p.m. ET: Tennessee -1 vs. Purdue9:39 p.m. ET: Michigan -2 vs. Texas Tech9:59 p.m. ET: Virginia vs. Oregon (no line)...

The number of teams left standing in the 2019 NCAA tournament continued to dwindle as the second round cut the field from 32 to 16.No. 3 LSU was the first team to clinch a Sweet 16 spot after escaping with a narrow 69–67 win over No. 6 Maryland. No. 4 Florida State wiped out No. 12 Murray State and standout guard Ja Morant, while No. 2 Michigan made light work of No. 10 Florida. No. 2 Kentucky pulled out a victory over No. 7 Wofford, where star Terriers guard Fletcher Magee set a new NCAA tournament record for the most three-pointers missed (12).No. 1 Duke managed to avoid an upset when it beat No. 9 UCF 77–76 on Sunday. No. 1 Virginia advanced with a win over No. 9 Oklahoma.No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 1 Gonzaga...

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski huddled his Blue Devils together with 2:08 left in their second-round tilt against UCF as officials huddled to determine whether B.J. Taylor’s jumper as the shot clock expired had actually grazed the rim.UCF was up 74–70 at the time, but Krzyzewski felt comfortable with the time on the clock, feeling there’d still be between eight and 10 possessions for both teams. So he looked at his team—the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament—and told them, You guys live for these moments.Duke would escape Columbia with a 77–76 victory over ninth-seeded UCF after Aubrey Dawkins’s tip-in somehow didn’t go down. The final 128 seconds of this game gave this tournament a much-needed jolt of energy, provided several moments that will shape the national title favorites moving forward and will go down as the story of the first weekend....

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Mike Trout smiled into the postcard-perfect Orange County sunlight and said exactly what every Los Angeles Angels fan has spent years hoping to hear."I know there was a lot of talk about going back East, but I enjoy every minute being here," Trout said Sunday. "This is my home. I love it. I think the direction of the franchise, if it was going the other way, I would have had to consider going. But it never crossed my mind. I was going to be an Angel for life, sure."The crowd around the main entrance to Angel Stadium burst into raucous cheers, and so did Trout's dozens of teammates and coaches in the audience below the podium.The $426.5 million, 12-year contract for the two-time AL MVP is an extraordinary reward for a singular homegrown talent who never wanted to leave. After returning from spring training with their franchise cornerstone firmly in place, the Angels paused on the final weekend before the regular season to celebrate Trout being home to stay....

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- A Mike Trout-themed backdrop was stationed in front of the main entrance to Angel Stadium on Sunday afternoon, right in front of an electronic banner that marked the occasion with the word "loyalty." Trout stepped to the podium amid a chorus of "MVP" chants from the 3,000 or so fans who arrived early for an exhibition game to celebrate the 12-year, $426.5 million contract that will make him the pre-eminent member of the Los Angeles Angels for his entire career.Trout, as graceful an athlete as this game has ever seen, looked rattled."Whew!" he exclaimed at one point, attempting to gather himself amid a sea of adoration. "I'm losing it."Trout, making his first public comments since agreeing to his monumental extension earlier this week, called this little pocket in Southern California "my home," which is what made all the difference....

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Duke's freshman tandem of Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett saved the top-ranked Blue Devils from a second-round upset at the hands of UCF on Sunday.Williamson's contested layin with 14 seconds remaining cut the UCF lead to one. Then Barrett handled the rest, rebounding Williamson's missed free throw and putting it back in to give the Blue Devils the go-ahead basket to beat the No. 9 Knights 77-76."The will to win of Zion and R.J., you can't measure it. It's just there," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Look, we're a young group. But what they did at the end of the game, willing us to win, was sensational."Of Barrett and Williamson's performance the final two minutes, Krzyzewski said they were "built for this."...

Duke advanced to the Sweet 16 after a thrilling 77-76 win overUCF on Sunday in the second round of the men's NCAA tournament -- the wildest finish of the Big Dance thus far.If you're like us, we're still trying to breathe easy after that insane ending, but here are out five takeaways from the near-upset to help steady the conversation.First, B.J. Taylor's layup rimmed out in the final seconds. Then, Aubrey Dawkins seemed to have the perfect angle and touch on a putback that would have won the game at the buzzer -- but it too didn't fall. How on earth not?Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said his team got "lucky" after the game. Of course, it's not that simple (after all, he has a talented group full of NBA prospects who made big plays down the stretch). The lasting image of that game, however, will be the Dawkins tip-in that somehow rolled out of the cylinder. What an unbelievable sequence....

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Sunday that he wants his team to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and secure home-court advantage in the team's final season at Oracle Arena. But as his group heads into its final 10 regular-season games, the overall health of the group will take priority over any playoff positioning."Health always comes first," Kerr said prior to Sunday's game against the Detroit Pistons. "So each player we look at individually."With that in mind, the Warriors will rest DeMarcus Cousins and veteran Andre Iguodala on Sunday on the second night of a back-to-back against the Pistons. This comes the night after Kerr, along with consultation from Rick Celebrini, the team's director of sports medicine and performance, decided to rest guard Stephen Curry and veteran Shaun Livingston....

Indiana advanced in the NIT on Saturday night, but it was guard Devonte Green’s tattoos that caught people’s attention.I’m a huge fan of this tattoo format. It’s so utterly nerdy, but hidden enough that to a quick glance you’d never even know what it means. Only when you take note of all the button inputs, Google it and then make the link that infinite ammo = shooter that it all comes together.That’s not the only amazing tattoo that Green has on his arm. His elbow is a nod to Naruto’s Eight Trigrams Sealing Style, and next to that is a Super Mushroom from Super Mario Bros. Green’s forearm appears to be Spider-Man in a web too — though this angle is tough to tell.Hats off to Devonte Green, for tattoos that directly speak to me. ...

© (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) CAPTION: TULSA, OKLAHOMA - MARCH 22: Fabian White Jr. #35, Galen Robinson Jr. #25 and Breaon Brady #24 of the Houston Cougars celebrate from the bench against the Georgia State Panthers during the second half in the first round game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at BOK Center on March 22, 2019 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. ​Heading into their ​NCAA Tournament Round of 32 matchup against Ohio State, the Houston Cougars are looking to channel the days of old and bring back the magic of Phi Slama Jama. The Houston teams of the first half of the 1980s were a college basketball sensation, and made three straight Final Fours with the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler leading the way....

Mikaela Shiffrin just capped a record-setting ski season. The 24-year-old American spent time in New York to celebrate an unprecedented 17 World Cup wins and her third straight overall title. Lindsey Vonn won four overall titles before she retired this season at the age of 34. Shiffrin had appearances at Macy's and on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon." She plans to spend time with family and at her new house in Colorado during her short offseason.

Georgia Tech defensive tackle Brandon Adams has died, the program announced on Sunday. He passed Saturday in Atlanta, though no other details are known at this time. He was 21 years old.“On behalf of the entire Georgia Tech athletics family, I offer my deepest condolences to Brandon’s family and friends, including his past and present coaches, and his brothers in the Georgia Tech football family,” Georgia Tech AD Todd Stansbury said in a statement. “As we mourn the loss of such an incredible young life, we are also here to support Brandon’s family and friends, his past and present coaches and his brothers within the Georgia Tech football family in any way that we can. Please join us in keeping Brandon and everyone who loved him in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”...

The right to become a free agent is the proudest achievement of the Major League Baseball Players Association, the oldest and most powerful labor union in North American professional sports. It has given players the opportunity to test their value on the open market, creating spectacles like the $300 million contracts that Bryce Harper and Manny Machado won this winter. But those big deals bely a perilous truth that emerged this off-season: The institution of free agency is on the injured list. With the employment market cool for all but the biggest stars, an increasing number of players—ranging from up-and-coming prospects to Hall-of-Fame caliber talent—are choosing to delay, or even effectively waive, their ability to offer their services to the highest bidder. ...

Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but Johnny Manziel is trying to own up to the mistakes he has made throughout the past several years that contributed to the downfall of his football career.Manziel, who could make his Alliance of American Football debut with the Memphis Express on Sunday, opened up over the weekend about some of the things that have happened since he was a star at Texas A&M and went on to be drafted by the Cleveland Browns. He said he has made a “multitude of mistakes” but will continue to try to make amends with those he has hurt.“I’m not gonna lie, I wake up at times thinking I’m gonna pop up and be in my apartment my first year in Cleveland, and it’s all gonna be one crazy dream,” Manziel said....

Mike Trout signed a 12-year, $430 million contract with the Angels on March 19, agreeing to the biggest contract in American sports history. But the two-time MVP didn't sign his deal without first speaking with some of baseball's biggest names. Trout said he talked with Bryce Harper and Manny Machado before signing an extension with the Angels, according to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya. Machado signed an ten-year, $300 million deal with the Padres on Feb. 19. Harper signed a 10-year, $330 million deal with the Phillies on Feb. 28. "I kind of saw what Bryce and Manny went through and it drew a red flag for me. I talked to Manny and Bryce. It was a tough couple months in the offseason," Trout said. "They put it perspective in my mind. I obviously want to be an Angel for life. That was a big key."...

The Hornets' Jeremy Lamb hit an absurd shot Sunday night to beat the Raptors and keep his team's playoff hopes alive. With the Hornets down 114-112 with 3.1 seconds remaining, Lamb hit the half-court shot as time expired. The wild shot put the Hornets ahead 115-114 to win the game.Lamb finished with 13 points in the victory. The Hornets have won three straight games and trail the Heat by two games for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte next faces San Antonio on Tuesday. ...

Until Zion met Tacko and Duke survived a white-knuckle thriller against UCF on Sunday, the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament had been relatively uneventful. The power of chalk was on display in Columbus, where the greatest drama derived from a comeback that wasn’t completed. Outside of Iowa nearly shocking Tennessee in the second round on Sunday after being down by 25 points in the first half, the games went largely by the book. The top two teams at the site, North Carolina and Tennessee, emerged from their pods to advance to the Sweet 16. It was all as expected.As Duke-UCF proved, everything can change in an instant, but even if the top seeds for another four days next weekend, the games themselves are sure to be more exciting. North Carolina, which had no trouble dispatching Washington in the second round, figures to be in one of those games when it matches up with fifth-seeded Auburn in one of the Midwest Region’s Sweet 16 showdowns. If you’re sensing a malaise setting over the games Duke isn’t a part of, these two teams meeting in Kansas City couldn’t be a better pair to snap this tournament out of it....

Two days after the Indians announced that shortstop Francisco Lindor and second baseman Jason Kipnis will begin the season on the injured list, Jose Ramirez fouled a pitch off the inside of his left knee and was carted off the field in the third inning of Sunday’s game vs. the White Sox.X-rays for Ramirez revealed no broken bone, but he was diagnosed with a left knee contusion, according to MLB.com. The Indians gave no immediate timetable for his return, which puts his status for Opening Day is in question. Ramirez finished third in the American League MVP voting in both 2017 and 2018, and his 136 OPS+ ranks 11th among all players since 2016, the year he became an everyday player.If Ramirez is not ready for Opening Day, the Indians will be without their two best hitters—Lindor has a 119 OPS+ in his four Major League seasons—and three of their four starting infielders when the regular season begins. They signed infielder Brad Miller on Sunday to fill in for the injured Kipnis, and they previously added veteran bats Hanley Ramirez and Carlos Santana, but the lineup will be far less daunting without Jose Ramirez and Lindor....

Good for Rob Gronkowski, a player so talented, so essential to the all-for-one Patriots dynasty that he was able to create a brand for himself and a meaningful life to walk away to.As expected, he will retire a movie star, already eyeing a future in wrestling rings and big-budget action flicks. He could be The Rock or Dolph Lundgren. He could be Arnold Schwarzenegger in a backwards hat and lacrosse pinnie. That’s the way most of us will remember him anyway. A tight end, yes, but also someone who oozed personality; someone who could make even the most conscientious objector to the light-beer-chugging Massachusetts bro culture flash a smile.Imagine watching a movie with kids or grandkids and them only recognizing Gronkowski as the dude lighting up bad-guy aliens on the big screen. That may be the only major disappointment in Sunday’s announcement—that Gronkowski was so well-liked that we may one day forget how unique of a football talent he really was. ...

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was visibly emotional after his Blue Devils escaped with a one-point 77–76 win over ninth-seeded UCF on Sunday night.The legendary college coach heaped high praise on Knights coach Johnny Dawkins and his son, Aubrey, who led UCF with 32 points, four assists and three steals. Johnny Dawkins played for Krzyzewski in Durham from 1982–86 and returned to his alma mater following his NBA career, where he began coaching. He spent 10 seasons on Krzyzewski's staff.Krzyzewski said that Dawkins's team deserved to win."They played great. Johnny [Dawkins], Aubrey [Dawkins]–holy mackerel. They were deserving of winning," Krzyzewski said after his team survived UCF's upset bid and punched its ticket to the Sweet 16. "We hung in there. We made a couple big plays here and R.J. and Zion, they willed us. And then we were lucky....

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has announced his retirement.The Super Bowl champion did so in a post on Instagram Sunday night just before 6 p.m. "It all started at 20 years old on stage at the NFL draft when my dream came true, and now here I am about to turn 30 in a few months with a decision I feel is the biggest of my life so far," he said in the post."Cheers to all who have been part of this journey, cheers to the past for the incredible memories and a huge cheers to the uncertain of what's next."The tight end suffered a number of injuries throughout his career and underwent at least six surgeries. In the 2018 season, he missed three games due to back and ankle injuries and was diagnosed with a concussion on Jan. 21....

The five-time Pro Bowler announced his decision after winning his third Super Bowl ring.

Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL via an Instagram post on Sunday. After nine seasons with the New England Patriots, he is putting an end to a career in which he transcended the tight end position and was one of the league's most colorful personalities.Patriots quarterback Tom Brady shared his reaction in an Instagram post.Gronkowski called Patriots owner Robert Kraft on Sunday to inform him of his decision to retire, a team source said.Gronkowski's 79 touchdown receptions since he joined the Patriots as a second-round draft choice in 2010 led the NFL. He had 10 or more touchdown receptions in five seasons, which is the most by a tight end in NFL history.Gronkowski played in 115 regular-season games, totaling 521 receptions for 7,861 yards. He played in 16 playoff games, with 81 receptions for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns -- all records for a tight end....

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement on Sunday, capping a colorful nine-year career which saw "Gronk" dominate on the field and at the postgame party. Needless to say, reaction to the news came quick on social media. Here's some of the reaction to the retirement of a likely Hall of Famer....

Duke was inches away from elimination in the NCAA tournament on Sunday, but the Blue Devils advanced to the Sweet 16 with 77-76 victory over UCF. Zion Williamson finished with a game-high 32 points and 11 rebounds on Sunday. He brought the Blue Devils within one point on a layup over Tacko Fall, who was charged with his fifth foul on the play, with 14 seconds remaining. Williamson missed the free throw, but a rebound and layup from R.J. Barrett gave Duke a 77-76 victory.UCF overcame a 44-36 halftime deficit to lead Duke in the final minutes. Junior Aubrey Dawkins––son of UCF head coach and former Blue Devils player and assistant Johnny Dawkins––poured in 32 points including five threes....

No. 1 Duke, the 2019 NCAA tournament favorite, managed to avoid an upset Sunday to No. 9 UCF in the Round of 32, with the Blue Devils winning 77–76. The matchup was billed as one between Knights 7'6" center Tacko Fall and the Blue Devils' Zion Williamson.UCF pushed the Blue Devils to the wire, missing two attempts at game-winning baskets at the end of regulation, allowing Duke to advance.  Here's the best reactions to the wild finish:And radio host mike francesa didn't even get UDuke will face the winner of No. 12 Liberty and No. 4 Virginia Tech in the Sweet 16 on Friday....

Paul Casey is looking forward to next month's Masters after retaining the Valspar Championship crown with a hard-fought victory at Palm Harbor.The 41-year-old Englishman became the first man to defend the title on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and claimed his third PGA Tour win in the process.He is now looking forward to attempting to claim his first major victory at Augusta National, where his best finish is tied for fourth in 2016.Casey admitted his performance this week had been "mega" for his confidence and believes he has a good chance in The Masters if he can maintain his form."I feel good," he told Sky Sports. "I've got to play like that. I drove the ball so well this week, these fairways are so narrow. Drive it like that [and] I've got a very, very good chance....

Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman says his side were "anxious" to take Germany on, but that his side deserved a point from their European Qualifier on Sunday night.His Dutch side fought back from 2-0 down, but a last-minute goal from Nico Schulz secured a win for the Germans in Amsterdam.Afterwards, Koeman acknowledged his side struggled against Germany's unorthodox set-up.He said: "I thought we didn't start well, didn't know exactly how Germany would play, and they were very good with three players and lots of movement up front."We weren't good and didn't keep the ball in the first half. But in the second half, I was proud of the fact that we didn't let our heads go down, we were 2-0 down and the second half was brilliant. But we should have had a point."...

The Internet was a flurry of emotions on Sunday night after Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement on Instagram. From sadness to shock to certainly Gronk-approved beer jokes, reactions ran the gamut.For some, including his teammates Tom Brady and Julian Edelman, the sentimental route seemed appropriate for their reactions to the three-time Super Bowl champion's decision.For others, the announcement immediately brought up several questions surrounding one of Gronk's favorite things: beer. For those unfamiliar with the tight end's affection for a good beverage, see Gronk getting hit in the head with a beer thrown at him from a fan during the Patriots' Super Bowl parade, Gronk chugging beers shirtless or just look at this collection of photos....

England manager Gareth Southgate has revealed that he has added Raheem Sterling to his 'leadership group' of senior players.The group also contains captain Harry Kane, as well as other experienced internationals such as Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier.The in-form Sterling scored a hat-trick as Southgate's side got their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign underway with an impressive 5-0 win over the Czech Republic on Friday night.Sterling is expected to be in the line-up once again when the Three Lions face Montenegro in Podgorica on Monday evening and, ahead of the game, Southgate said Sterling had joined Kane and company in the leadership team."In between November and March, observing his maturity and influence, I felt that would be a good step for him," said Southgate....

After the first round of the NCAA tournament concluded, we decided to reseed the field entering the second round. Maybe you loved your team's seed. Maybe you hated it. (Purdue and LSU fans, we know you hated it.) Either way, we're back to do it again. Here's our reseeding of the Sweet 16:1. Duke Blue Devils(Original seed: No. 1; Reseed: No. 1)My goodness. The Blue Devils needed miraculous shots by Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett in the final seconds of a win over an inspired UCF squad in the second round to advance to the Sweet 16. After the game, Mike Krzyzewski said his team got "lucky." That's a reasonable verdict after Aubrey Dawkins missed a game-winning tip-in at the buzzer. Sure, Williamson had 32 points and a clutch shot in the final seconds, and Barrett had a go-ahead put-back. But that's not the narrative right now. This is: UCF, a 9-seed, made a Duke squad that connected on 40 percent of its 3-point attempts look vulnerable. The same question remains, though. Can any team in America beat Duke when Williamson plays the way he did against the Knights? For the past five months, the answer has consistently been "no."...

© Provided by USA Today Sports Media Group LLC UC Irvine assistant coach Blaine Taylor shows off a photo sent by a friend of him and Sister Jean Delores Schmidt, the chaplain of a Loyola Chicago team that went on a run last NCAA tournament. SAN JOSE, Calif. — Sister Jean is one of a kind.But the 13th-seeded UC Irvine Anteaters, bidding to become the Cinderella of this year’s NCAA tournament, jokingly claim they have a “secret weapon” similar to the 99-year-old chaplain of the Loyola Chicago basketball team who became a breakout star last year when the 11th-seeded Ramblers reached the Final Four.RELATED:  Men’s NCAA Tournament bracket, matchups, moreUncle Blaine, they now call him....

Trevor Bauer once again used his Twitter account to protest something written by Cleveland Indians reporter Paul Hoynes.The Indians announced on Saturday that Corey Kluber would start Opening Day while Bauer would follow him in the rotation. In his opening sentence for a story on the matter, Hoynes said on Cleveland.com that Bauer was “not happy” about Kluber getting the nod.Bauer disputed that characterization and let it be known via Twitter.Indians manager Terry Francona was quoted as saying Bauer might be “a little cranky” over the decision, but acknowledged that they couldn’t go wrong choosing between the two pitchers.Though Bauer was better than Kluber by most statistical measures last season, the Opening Day honor often goes to a pitcher with a more proven history when there is a doubt. If Bauer repeats his performance from 2018 and out-pitches Kluber this season, he’ll probably have earned the 2020 nod. For now, you can’t really argue with choosing a pitcher who has won two Cy Youngs and has five straight 200-plus inning/200-plus strikeout seasons. And you also can’t argue with an athlete so competitive that he wants to earn the highest honors in his sport....

Tight end Clay Harbor, who has seen regular-season action for the Eagles, Jaguars, Lions and Patriots in his career, is trying to make it back to the NFL, according to Mike Kaye of NJ.com (via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk).Harbor said, “I’m going to put everything into football for the next three months. If I don’t get signed by the time training camp is over or around that time, then I’m going to move on and figure out what the next step of my life is going to be.”Harbor signed with the Saints in May 2017 but was placed on injured reserve in August of that year. He has not played in a regular-season game since 2016, which he began with the Patriots. New England cut him a few weeks into the 2016 campaign, and he caught on with the Lions immediately thereafter. He played very sparingly with both clubs, and though he appeared in 12 games with Detroit, he managed only three targets....

Saturday’s second round games delivered some memorable moments, but was low in the bracket busting department. Sunday figures to be different, with five double-digit seeded teams in action, including Cinderellas Liberty and UC Irvine as they look to extend their March magic. That, and some guy by the name of Zion Williamson is lacing it up Sunday, too.RELATED: Men’s NCAA Tournament bracket, matchups, moreHere’s a look at the game slate reorganized for your viewing pleasure, ranked based on watchability. 1. No. 1 Duke vs. No. 9 UCF (5: 15 p.m. ET, CBS): Two otherworldly humans will be on the court at the same time in Duke’s Zion Williamson (6-7, 285 pounds) and UCF's Tacko Fall (7-6, 310 pounds). The Blue Devils get equal doses of production (51 combined points vs. North Dakota State) and energy (highlight-reel, momentum-shifting dunks) from Williamson and R.J. Barrett, so containing Duke’s player of the year candidates will be a top priority for UCF. Coach Johnny Dawkins, a Mike Krzyzewski disciple, will look to keep this Duke team out of the paint and make them shoot from outside. That’s easier said than done, but at least he has a 7-footer to protect the rim. Or at least try to.    ...

COLUMBIA, S.C. — For perhaps the first time in college basketball history, the biggest draw in an NCAA Tournament is the possibility of a single play that may not ever happen.As much as it is a game between two teams, Duke vs. UCF is also proxy for a made-for-social-media clash between two unique bodies who could potentially meet at the rim Sunday, creating a moment that will cause millions of fans to hold their breath. RELATED:Men’s NCAA Tournament bracket, matchups, more“We can’t make it bigger than what it really is,” said UCF’s 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall, which is only true in the most literal sense. When it comes to the possibility of a 6-foot-7, 285-pound highlight reel trying to dunk on one of the tallest humans in the world, it is impossible to make it bigger.  ...

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — John Isner was broken in the first game but he held the rest of the way and hit 16 aces to beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-5, 7-6 (6) Sunday in the third round of the Miami Open.Isner, now 33, won the biggest title of his career in the tournament a year ago. He is seeded seventh this year.Isner will next face No. 19-seeded Kyle Edmund, who beat No. 12 Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-4.In women's play, Venus Williams reached the fourth round of the tournament for the 16th time with a 6-3, 6-1 win over No. 14 Daria Kasatkina, who never held serve.Williams won the title in 1998, 1999 and 2001. She's unseeded at Miami for the first time since 2012, but improved to 11-3 this year.Williams next faces No. 2 Simona Halep, who outlasted Polona Hercog 5-7, 7-6 (1), 6-2....

Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill praised the displays of Josh Magennis and Bailey Peacock-Farrell following their 2-1 win over Belarus.Josh Magennis came off the bench to score an 87th-minute winner against Belarus on Sunday night, to make it two wins out of two for Northern Ireland, but they nearly conceded a last-gasp equaliser if not for a fine save by Peacock-Farrell.O'Neill was pleased with his side's overall performance and that they were able to eventually break Belarus down.He told Sky Sports: "We had to change the game physically and tactically and Josh Magennis allows us to do that."There were a lot of changes and the players dealt with that well. It's a great goal if you watch it back. A great ball across and a great finish....

HAMDEN, Conn. — Senior captains Sophia Shaver and Annie Pankowski each scored, and Wisconsin won its fifth NCAA women’s hockey championship with a 2-0 victory over Minnesota on Sunday.Kristen Campbell, named the most outstanding player, pitched her 11th shutout of the season, including a victory over two-time defending champion Clarkson in the Frozen Four. She did not allow a goal in three NCAA Tournament games.Shaver opened the scoring midway through the first period by redirecting a centering pass from Presley Norby.Pankowski scored midway through the second period on a short-handed goal for her 28th of the season. Pankowski collected a loose puck at the blue line on a penalty kill, drove hard to the net and scored on a backhander to set a program record with her ninth career short-handed goal....

AMSTERDAM — Nico Schulz set up one goal and scored a 90th-minute winner as Germany snatched a 3-2 victory over the Netherlands in European Championship qualifying on Sunday.Germany's front two of Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry each netted in the first half of the Group C game. Matthijs de Ligt scored his first international goal to halve the lead shortly after the break and Memphis Depay brought the Netherlands level in the 63rd minute.Schulz guided a cross from substitute Marco Reus into the goal for the late winner.In the group's other match, Northern Ireland established itself as a surprise early group leader by making it two wins from two matches thanks to substitute Josh Magennis's late winner in a 2-1 defeat of Belarus....

Nico Schulz grabbed a dramatic last minute winner for Germany against the Netherlands to get their European Championship qualification campaign off to a winning start in the Johan Cruyff Arena.Germany struck first in the 15th minute after a near post cross from Schulz was controlled by Leroy Sane, who was left free as a bird thanks to a Matthijs de Ligt slip, before the Manchester City forward finished brilliantly with a fine strike across the goalkeeper.The Dutch were made to pay for missed chances after Serge Gnabry's direct run was bettered only by an outstanding edge-of-the-box finish into the top corner to double Die Mannschaft's advantage.It was a different game in the second half however, and shortly after the interval, De Ligt headed in his first international goal after a wonderful in-swinging Memphis Depay cross, to pull one back for the hosts....

Jordan Henderson, Jadon Sancho and Dele Alli face fitness tests on Monday, leaving England with concerns for their European Qualifier away to Montenegro.The trio impressed in England's 5-0 demolition of the Czech Republic but face a race to be fit for the Group A clash at the Gradski Stadion. The nature of the injuries affecting the players is unclear at this stage.It is understood England boss Gareth Southgate has yet to inform his squad of his starting line-up as he waits to discover which players he will have available to him at the Podgorica City Stadium.Southgate elected not to elevate anyone from England's U21 squad to the senior group, despite the fact that immediately after the Czech Republic game the England boss knew he had only 17 fit outfield players at his disposal....

Zion Williamson was a walking highlight reel once again as No. 1 Duke took on No. 9 UCF in the second round of the 2019 NCAA tournament on Sunday night.Williamson banked the Blue Devils' first shot of the content after UCF's Tacko Fall opened things up with a dunk. He then made his way into the first viral clip of the clash, but unfortunately as the recipient of a straight up stuff from Fall.After a few quiet minutes, Williamson returned to form, muscling his way to the rim and drawing a foul in the process.He then tied the game with a dunk with just under four minutes remaining in regulation, beginning an 8–0 run for Duke.The Zion show continued as Williamson finished the first half with 15 points....

Paul Casey became the first man to defend the Valspar Championship title as he battled his way to a one-shot victory at Palm Harbor in Florida.On a day when swirling winds and firm greens made scoring difficult on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort, a one-over 72 proved good enough for the 41-year-old Englishman as he finished on eight-under 276.American Jason Kokrak and Louis Oosthuizen put Casey under pressure on the back nine but he held his nerve to par the 18th to retain a title for the first time in his career.Kokrak, who bogeyed the 18th, and Oosthuizen shared second place on seven under after rounds of 71 and 69 respectively.Dustin Johnson had been billed as Casey's main threat but the world No 1 failed to make a birdie all day as his challenge faded, while Luke Donald also struggled despite making a bright start....

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has announced his retirement after nine NFL seasons. Gronkowski, who will turn 30 in May, retires after winning three Super Bowl titles with the Patriots, the most recent of which came against the Los Angeles Rams last month.He is widely considered to be among the greatest tight ends in NFL history.A four-time First Team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl selection, Gronkowski caught 521 passes for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns in 115 games from 2010-18. He added 81 catches for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns in 16 postseason contests.But he has been dogged in recent seasons by back, knee, ankle and arm injuries that have limited his ability to stay on the field....

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement via Instagram on Sunday. Gronkowski won three Super Bowls and was a four-time All-Pro in nine seasons with New England. "It all started at 20 years old on stage at the NFL draft when my dream came true, and now here I am about to turn 30 in a few months with a decision I feel is the biggest of my life so far. I will be retiring from the game of football today," Gronkowski wrote. "I am so grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Kraft and Coach Belichick gave to me when drafting my silliness in 2010. My life experiences over the last 9 years have been amazing both on and off the field."Gronkowski had mulled his retirement throughout the offseason. He said he will be making a decision in the "next couple of weeks," on Feb. 19, just over a month before Sunday's announcement. ...

California has fired men's basketball coach Wyking Jones after just two seasons.Jones was promoted to head coach in 2017 after Cuonzo Martin left for Missouri. Jones had been an assistant under Martin for two seasons after spending four seasons as an assistant coach under Rick Pitino at Louisville.Jones went 16-47 in two seasons in Berkeley, finishing 5-31 in Pac-12 play. The Golden Bears lost their first 15 conference games this season before winning three in a row to end the regular season, including a win over regular-season champion Washington."I am grateful to Wyking for his unflagging dedication and commitment to our program during his tenure at Cal, both as a head coach and as an assistant coach," Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton said in a statement. "I have witnessed -- and respected -- his strong work ethic, commitment to the University's mission and, perhaps most importantly, his extraordinary care and concern for our student-athletes....

Ex-Derby full-back Michael Johnson and his British-Bangladeshi assistant Taff Rahman have led Guyana to the CONCACAF Gold Cup for the first time in the nation's history.Guyana, who have a population of less than 800,000 and are 177th in the FIFA rankings, sealed their place at this summer's tournament after a hard-fought 2-1 victory away at well-fancied Belize.Emery Welshman scored the winner after Bury midfielder Neil Danns' opener for Guyana.Derby club ambassador Johnson, who has been vocal about the lack of opportunities afforded to aspiring BAME coaches, is thrilled to have made history with the Golden Jaguars in his first senior role as a fully-fledged manager in his own right."I feel absolutely ecstatic for the country itself. It means everything to this country," he told Derby's official website....

Cleveland Indians All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez was carted off the field Sunday in a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox after fouling a ball off his left leg below the knee.The Indians announced that Ramirez has a bruised knee and was being taken for X-rays. Max Moroff replaced Ramirez at third base for the rest of the game.Ramirez had one of the most productive seasons for a third baseman in the MLB in 2018-19, leading the Indians in home runs, 39, and on-base percentage, .387, and setting a new career high with 105 RBIs.Ramirez also had 34 stolen bases to become only the third player in franchise history with 30 home runs and 30 steals, joining Grady Sizemore (2008) and Joe Carter (1987), according to ESPN Stats & Information....

Cleveland Indians All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez suffered a left knee contusion after fouling a ball off his left leg in a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox, the team announced Sunday.Ramirez was carted off the field and underwent X-rays, which came back negative. No timetable for his return has been set and Ramirez will stay in Arizona for the time being to receive treatment.Max Moroff replaced Ramirez at third base for the rest of the game.Ramirez had one of the most productive years by a third baseman in the MLB last season, leading the Indians in home runs with 39 and on-base percentage with .387 and setting a career high with 105 RBIs.Ramirez had 34 stolen bases to become only the third player in franchise history with 30 home runs and 30 steals, joining Grady Sizemore (2008) and Joe Carter (1987), according to ESPN Stats & Information....

Eden Hazard has claimed that Belgium's quarter-final victory over Brazil at the 2018 World Cup is the highlight of his career, as he prepares to make his 100th appearance for the Red Devils. The Chelsea winger has scored 29 goals and provided 26 assists for his country since his debut in 2009, and has reached a century of international appearances in Belgium's game against Cyprus on Sunday night. Speaking before the match, Hazard revealed that the 2-1 win against Brazil last summer was his crowing moment in the jersey. Belgium had taken a two-goal lead courtesy of a Fernandinho own goal and a strike from Kevin De Bruyne, before substitute Renato Augusto pulled back what turned out to be mere consolation....

Northern Ireland made it two successive victories to kick off their Euro 2020 Group C qualifying campaign with a 2-1 win over a plucky Belarus side on Sunday.Jonny Evans scored his third goal in a Northern Ireland shirt on the half-hour mark with an unmarked header. Three minutes later, winger Ihar Stasevich responded quickly with a fortunate equaliser as his deflected shot got the better of Bailey Peacock-Farrell (33).After applying plenty of pressure in the second half, Northern Ireland grabbed a deserved late winner through Josh Magennis who poked home at the near post (87). But in injury time, Peacock-Farrell was called into action to make a vital save to deny substitute Pavel Nekhajchik (90+4)....

Germany secured a thrilling 3-2 win over the Netherlands after the Oranje fought back from two goals behind in their European Qualifier in Amsterdam on Sunday night.Leroy Sane (15) opened the scoring with a well-taken finish after a fine first touch inside the box, but Serge Gnabry (34) stole the first-half show after cutting inside Virgil van Dijk to whip a wonderful ball into the top corner for 2-0.The Dutch were transformed in the second half and Matthijs De Ligt (48) pulled one back with a leaping header, before Memphis Depay (63) found an equaliser from inside the box after pinball football flummoxed the German defence.But Nico Schulz (90) won it for Germany at the death, ensuring a perfect start to their Euro 2020 campaign while stopping an in-form Netherlands in their tracks....

On Sunday during the second round of the NCAA tournament, No. 1 Duke took on No. 9 UCF. But the matchup quickly was built up as one between Duke star and projected No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA draft Zion Williamson and UCF's towering center Tacko Fall. Fall didn't disappoint, providing some dazzling highlights against Duke and Williamson.The game started with Williamson going up against Fall for tip-off, with Fall easily winning the matchup. Fall is 7'6" and has a 10'4" standing reach.He even made his water bottle look miniature. Here are some of Fall's other highlights of the game:Fall said before the matchup he wouldn't allow Williamson to put him on one of his highlight tapes. ...

Real Madrid have endured a dreadful season by their own high standards and are on course for their worst overall performance since 2009. Other than the FIFA Club World Cup, Los Blancos will be trophyless this season, following the departure of Zinedine Zidane. Zidane opted to leave after a lack of domestic success and resigned in May last year, citing the club's 'need for change' as his reason. New boss Julen Lopetegui proved a disaster taking the club to 10th before being dismissed for Santiago Solari. Results improved under Solari, but a shock Champions League exit to Ajax saw him dismissed as well, with Los Blancos turning back to Zidane. It's a tough act to follow for the Frenchman after securing a record three consecutive Champions League titles in his first spell. ...

Josh Charnley is poised to return to the England fold, 12 months since returning from rugby union.The 27-year-old winger, who won eight England caps as a Wigan player from 2012-14 and played in the 2013 World Cup, is set to be included in Wayne Bennett's updated 30-man elite performance squad (EPS) which will be announced on Monday.Charnley enjoyed a phenomenal scoring record for his home-town club Wigan, claiming 162 tries in 171 appearances from 2010-16, but the tries dried up during a 14-month spell with Premiership club Sale Sharks.He was signed by Warrington last March and, after re-discovering his scoring touch with 31 tries in 34 appearances so far for his new club, he is back in the international reckoning....