Update on the latest sports
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NCAA TOURNAMENT
Top-seeded Gonzaga puts perfect record on the line
UNDATED (AP) — The top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs are preparing to open the NCAA Tournament and put their perfect record on the line in Indiana.
The Zags are 26-0 and seeking to become the first champion to finish a season without a loss since Bobby Knight’s Hoosiers went 32-0 in 1976.
Coach Mark Few appreciates what’s at stake while understanding Gonzaga will be an unwelcome guest each time it takes the floor. The Bulldogs open against Norfolk State on Saturday. The West Region features three potential opponents that Gonzaga has already defeated this season in No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Kansas and No. 4 Virginia.
East Region top seed Michigan opens its first round against No. 16 seed Texas Southern, looking for a better outcome than some of the other Big Ten teams. Ohio State is already gone. So is Purdue. Michigan State couldn’t make it out of the First Four. Those three results all were decided in overtime but still raised at least a little suspicion about the strength of the Big Ten, which led all conferences with nine NCAA Tournament bids. Two other Big Ten teams are in action Saturday: Maryland faces UConn and Iowa plays Grand Canyon.
NFL-DOLPHINS-WILSON RELEASED
Titans 1st-round bust Isaiah Wilson released by Dolphins
MIAMI (AP) — Tackle Isaiah Wilson, a first-round bust for the Tennessee Titans, lasted less than two weeks with the Miami Dolphins.
Miami released Wilson on Saturday. A person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press that Wilson was late for his physical and team meetings and failed to show up for workouts he had scheduled. Wilson’s agent didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Miami acquired Wilson from Tennessee on March 8 in a trade that also involved a swap of seventh-round draft picks.
Wilson was the 29th overall draft pick in 2020, and his one season in Tennessee was filled with turmoil on and off the field. The Titans placed him on injured reserve/non-football illness list in December to deal with what general manager Jon Robinson called personal issues.
TOKYO OLYMPICS-FOREIGN FANS
Spectators from abroad to be barred from Tokyo Olympics
TOKYO (AP) — Spectators from abroad will be barred from the Tokyo Olympics when they open in four months.
The decision was announced Saturday after an online meeting of the International Olympic Committee, the Japanese government, the Tokyo government, the International Paralympic Committee, and local organizers.
Officials said the risk was too great to admit ticket holders from overseas during a pandemic. The Japanese public has also opposed fans from abroad. Several surveys have shown that up to 80% oppose holding the Olympics, and a similar percentage opposed fans from overseas attending.
Japan has attributed about 8,800 deaths to COVID-19 and has controlled the virus better than most countries.
Organizers said 600,000 tickets were sold to fans from outside Japan. Another 30,000 were sold for the Paralympics. They have promised refunds, but this will be determined by so-called Authorized Ticket Resellers that handle sales outside Japan. These dealers charge fees of up to 20% above the ticket price. It is not clear if the fees will be refunded.
SKI-WORLD CUP FINALS-WOMEN’S SLALOM
Slovakian Petra Vlhova wins skiing’s World Cup overall title
LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland (AP) — Petra Vlhova has won the women’s World Cup overall title, becoming the first Slovakian to be crowned the best all-around skier.
Vlhova needed only a top-14 finish in her specialist slalom event Saturday in Switzerland. She placed sixth in a race that Katharina Liensberger won by 1.24 seconds. That earned Liensberger the season-long discipline title, edging Mikaela Shiffrin, who placed second in today’s race.
Vlhova’s result gave her an unbeatable lead of more than 100 points in the overall standings over Lara Gut-Behrami. Gut-Behrami skips slalom but will compete against Vlhova in the season-ending giant slalom on Sunday.
