CBB

AP Basketball WriterShowdown: Michigan St-Kentucky, Kansas-Duke tip-off seasonBy AARON BEARDThe nation's top teams don't have to wait long to find out how they measure up against some of the best competition.Answers will come quickly for No. 1 Michigan State, No. 2 Kentucky, No. 3 Kansas and No. 4 Duke...

Kentucky takes another trip to 'Cat-lanta' to face Kansas StBy The Associated PressNo. 5 seed Kentucky (26-10) vs. No. 9 seed Kansas State (24-11)Semifinals, South Regional, Atlanta, Thursday, approximately 9:37 p.m.BOTTOM LINE: Kentucky should feel right at home in Atlanta, also known in basketball circles as ''Cat-lanta.'' The city...

Shabazz carries San Francisco over Fresno State 71-69FRESNO, Calif. (AP) Khalil Shabazz scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, including a game-winner with 0.5 seconds left, as San Francisco edged past Fresno State 71-69 on Monday night.Mustafa Lawrence gave Fresno State a 69-64 lead with...

Morris Taft, who helped UCLA to 1st NCAA Tourney win, diesLOS ANGELES (AP) Morris Taft, a guard under coach John Wooden at UCLA from 1954-56 who helped the Bruins win their first NCAA Tournament game, has died. He was 84.The school said Taft died Sunday at his home...

AP Sports WriterBasketball ref sues Kentucky media company over harassmentBy ERIC OLSONOMAHA, Neb. (AP) A college basketball referee filed a federal lawsuit against a Kentucky media company on Tuesday, accusing it of creating conditions that led to the harassment of him and his family after he worked an...

AP Basketball WriterCollege basketball still under cloud of recruiting scandalBy JOHN MARSHALLA federal trial revealed more details of a pay-to-pay recruiting scandal, darkening the cloud hanging over college basketball for a second straight season.But will it make a difference? Outside of a handful of suspensions, the curtain pullback of...

AP Basketball WriterSt. John's has different look entering Mullin's 2nd seasonBy JIM O'CONNELLNEW YORK (AP) Chris Mullin's first season as coach at St. John's ended with an 8-24 record, including 1-17 in the Big East. Along the way there was a school-record 16-game losing streak and the Red...

Kohl scores 29 with 12 boards; CCSU beats St. Francis (BKN)NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) Tyler Kohl had 29 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two steals to help Central Connecticut State beat St. Francis (Brooklyn) 78-72 on Thursday night to snap a four-game skid.Ian Krishnan hit 4 of...

AP Sports WriterChalkiest region gives no confidence to No. 1 seed VillanovaBy JIMMY GOLENBOSTON (AP) ?? Sporting the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament's chalkiest region doesn't give Villanova coach Jay Wright any special confidence heading into Friday night's game against West Virginia.The Wildcats were together in a...

Arizona State's Hurley fined $10,000 for postgame conductSAN FRANCISCO (AP) Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley has been fined $10,000 by the Pac-12 Conference for inappropriate conduct toward officials at the end of the Sun Devils' loss to Oregon State.The conference said in a news release on Monday that...

Braxton's 27 helps St. Francis (Pa) top Mt. St. Mary's 72-63EMMITSBURG, Md. (AP) Keith Braxton scored 13 of his 27 points in the final 10 minutes as St. Francis (Pa) pulled away late to post its third straight win, knocking off Mt. St. Mary's 72-63 on Saturday.The Red...

Duke probe finds no evidence Nike paid Zion WilliamsonDURHAM, N.C. (AP) Duke says an investigation has found no evidence that former basketball star Zion Williamson received improper benefits.School spokesman Michael Schoenfeld said in a statement Saturday that a ''thorough and objective'' probe led by investigators outside the athletic...