Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;

WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;No. 22 Wichita State recorded its highest ranked win in school history Tuesday night, besting the second-ranked Oklahoma State Cowgirls in a thriller, 8-7, at Wilkins Stadium. Wichita State (31-7) had never beaten a top five program until Tuesday. The Shockers now own two top 10 wins this season, No. 9 Arkansas and No. 2 Oklahoma State. In front of a sellout crowd, Wichita State snapped Oklahoma State's 14-game win streak behind 14 hits. It marked just the third time this season Oklahoma State had allowed double digit hits. Five different Shockers had multi-hit games, including three-hit games from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-lucas/7235">Lauren Lucas</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7248">Taylor Sedlacek</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-mills/7237">Lauren Mills</a>&nbsp;broke out of a slump, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/zoe-jones/7234">Zoe Jones</a>&nbsp;each singled twice and drove in a run.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sami-hood/7246">Sami Hood</a>&nbsp;homered for the fourth time this season and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7228">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;scored two runs to go with a single. <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-howell/7244">Lauren Howell</a>&nbsp;made the start and received a no decision, but did come back in the seventh to record her first career save. She threw 4.2 innings, allowing five runs on five hits and three walks.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alison-cooper/7231">Alison Cooper</a>&nbsp;(10-3) threw 2.1 innings of relief to record the win. Three singles in the bottom of the first had Wichita State threatening early, but an inning-ending double play kept the Shockers off the board. The Shockers would capitalize in the bottom of the second, however. A leadoff solo home run from Hood jumpstarted a four-run frame. Wichita State would score three more, all with two outs. McKinney, Lucas and Jones all recorded consecutive RBI singles. Oklahoma State came right back with a three-run third to cut the lead to 4-3. Two more runs came across in the top of the fourth to give Oklahoma State its first lead of the night, 5-4. Wichita State had its own answer. Singles from Barnard and Lucas led to the tying run on an Oklahoma State throwing error, allowing Barnard to score from second. A two-run single from Mills and another Cowgirl error put Wichita State in front, 7-5. After a groundout, Sedlacek laced an RBI single up the middle, pushing the margin to three. The Cowgirls would not go away, immediately tacking on a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. An RBI double and RBI single made it a one-run game. Cooper kept the lead in tact in the top of the sixth after Oklahoma State put two on base with only one out. The sophomore induced a fielder's choice and line out to end the frame. Howell re-entered in the top of the seventh and sat down the Cowgirls on three fly outs to secure the upset victory. Up Next No. 22 Wichita State heads to Memphis for a conference series with the Tigers, April 6-8.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680700249764.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;No. 22 Wichita State recorded its highest ranked win in school history Tuesday night, besting the second-ranked Oklahoma State Cowgirls in a thriller, 8-7, at Wilkins Stadium. Wichita State (31-7) had never beaten a top five program until Tuesday. The Shockers now own two top 10 wins this season, No. 9 Arkansas and No. 2 Oklahoma State. In front of a sellout crowd, Wichita State snapped Oklahoma State's 14-game win streak behind 14 hits. It marked just the third time this season Oklahoma State had allowed double digit hits. Five different Shockers had multi-hit games, including three-hit games from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-lucas/7235">Lauren Lucas</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7248">Taylor Sedlacek</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-mills/7237">Lauren Mills</a>&nbsp;broke out of a slump, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/zoe-jones/7234">Zoe Jones</a>&nbsp;each singled twice and drove in a run.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sami-hood/7246">Sami Hood</a>&nbsp;homered for the fourth time this season and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7228">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;scored two runs to go with a single. <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-howell/7244">Lauren Howell</a>&nbsp;made the start and received a no decision, but did come back in the seventh to record her first career save. She threw 4.2 innings, allowing five runs on five hits and three walks.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alison-cooper/7231">Alison Cooper</a>&nbsp;(10-3) threw 2.1 innings of relief to record the win. Three singles in the bottom of the first had Wichita State threatening early, but an inning-ending double play kept the Shockers off the board. The Shockers would capitalize in the bottom of the second, however. A leadoff solo home run from Hood jumpstarted a four-run frame. Wichita State would score three more, all with two outs. McKinney, Lucas and Jones all recorded consecutive RBI singles. Oklahoma State came right back with a three-run third to cut the lead to 4-3. Two more runs came across in the top of the fourth to give Oklahoma State its first lead of the night, 5-4. Wichita State had its own answer. Singles from Barnard and Lucas led to the tying run on an Oklahoma State throwing error, allowing Barnard to score from second. A two-run single from Mills and another Cowgirl error put Wichita State in front, 7-5. After a groundout, Sedlacek laced an RBI single up the middle, pushing the margin to three. The Cowgirls would not go away, immediately tacking on a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. An RBI double and RBI single made it a one-run game. Cooper kept the lead in tact in the top of the sixth after Oklahoma State put two on base with only one out. The sophomore induced a fielder's choice and line out to end the frame. Howell re-entered in the top of the seventh and sat down the Cowgirls on three fly outs to secure the upset victory. Up Next No. 22 Wichita State heads to Memphis for a conference series with the Tigers, April 6-8.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

🥎 SB: Shockers take down No. 2 Oklahoma State

Via South Florida Business Journal

SOUTH FLORIDA, Florida—A trust in the name of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2023/04/03/kansascity/search/results?q=Bill%20Self">Bill Self</a>, a two-time national champion at the University of Kansas, and wife&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2023/04/03/kansascity/search/results?q=Cindy%20Self">Cindy Self</a>&nbsp;purchased a townhouse in South Florida for $7.55 million.

Dr.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2023/04/03/kansascity/search/results?q=Anthony%20Digioia">Anthony Digioia</a>, an orthopedic surgeon from Pittsburgh, and wife&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2023/04/03/kansascity/search/results?q=Cathleen%20A.%20Digioia">Cathleen A. Digioia</a>, sold their 5,480-square-foot Unit 5 in Ocean Place Villas at 4215 S. Ocean Blvd. in Highland Beach.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2023/04/03/kansascity/search/results?q=Emily%20Roberts">Emily Roberts</a>&nbsp;of Douglas Elliman represented the sellers in the deal, while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2023/04/03/kansascity/search/results?q=Anna%20Kuzminova">Anna Kuzminova</a>&nbsp;of Coldwell Banker Realty worked with the buyer.

The price equated to $1,378 a square foot.

It last traded for $5.1 million in 2016, so the oceanfront condo gained in value. That's a reflection of the strong increase in oceanfront property values in Palm Beach County, which has led the nation in attracting wealthy residents from other states over the past few years.

Built in 2009, this townhouse features five bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms, an elevator, a bar, a pool, a three-car garage, a media room, a balcony and a roof deck.

The Selfs aren't new to Highland Beach. They have owned a condo at 2727 S. Ocean Blvd. since 2016, but it's less than half the size of this new townhouse.

<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2023/04/03/kansascity/search/results?q=Bill%20Self">Bill Self</a>&nbsp;has been the head basketball coach for the Kansas Jayhawks since 2003. He led the team to national championships in 2008 and 2022, and his teams made four appearances in the Final Four. He was named AP College Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2016.

In 2021, KU signed Self to a "lifetime contract" that automatically renews every year.

Self wasn't able to coach the Jayhawks in the NCAA tournament this year as he was recovering from a heart procedure

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.bizj.us/view/img/10846511/kansas-ncaa-033018-10*750xx5169-2908-0-313.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Via South Florida Business JournalSOUTH FLORIDA, Florida—A trust in the name of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2023/04/03/kansascity/search/results?q=Bill%20Self">Bill Self</a>, a two-time national champion at the University of Kansas, and wife&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2023/04/03/kansascity/search/results?q=Cindy%20Self">Cindy Self</a>&nbsp;purchased a townhouse in South Florida for $7.55 million.Dr.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2023/04/03/kansascity/search/results?q=Anthony%20Digioia">Anthony Digioia</a>, an orthopedic surgeon from Pittsburgh, and wife&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2023/04/03/kansascity/search/results?q=Cathleen%20A.%20Digioia">Cathleen A. Digioia</a>, sold their 5,480-square-foot Unit 5 in Ocean Place Villas at 4215 S. Ocean Blvd. in Highland Beach.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2023/04/03/kansascity/search/results?q=Emily%20Roberts">Emily Roberts</a>&nbsp;of Douglas Elliman represented the sellers in the deal, while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2023/04/03/kansascity/search/results?q=Anna%20Kuzminova">Anna Kuzminova</a>&nbsp;of Coldwell Banker Realty worked with the buyer.The price equated to $1,378 a square foot.It last traded for $5.1 million in 2016, so the oceanfront condo gained in value. That's a reflection of the strong increase in oceanfront property values in Palm Beach County, which has led the nation in attracting wealthy residents from other states over the past few years.Built in 2009, this townhouse features five bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms, an elevator, a bar, a pool, a three-car garage, a media room, a balcony and a roof deck.The Selfs aren't new to Highland Beach. They have owned a condo at 2727 S. Ocean Blvd. since 2016, but it's less than half the size of this new townhouse.<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2023/04/03/kansascity/search/results?q=Bill%20Self">Bill Self</a>&nbsp;has been the head basketball coach for the Kansas Jayhawks since 2003. He led the team to national championships in 2008 and 2022, and his teams made four appearances in the Final Four. He was named AP College Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2016.In 2021, KU signed Self to a "lifetime contract" that automatically renews every year.Self wasn't able to coach the Jayhawks in the NCAA tournament this year as he was recovering from a heart procedure

🏀 MBB: Kansas Coach Self buys townhouse in South Florida

<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2022-23/div1/all-americans/index">CLICK FOR ENTIRE 2023 NJCAA DIVISION I ALL-AMERICA TEAM</a>

Via Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Hutchinson Community College freshman guard&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2022-23/bios/franklin_aaron_5xfv">Aaron Franklin</a>&nbsp;became the 36th player in Blue Dragon men's basketball history to be named to the NJCAA Division I All-America team.

Franklin was named to the third team of the 2023 class of NJCAA All-Americans on Tuesday. The inclusion of Hutchinson's 6-foot-5 freshman from Kansas City, Missouri marks the third-straight season and the ninth in the last 10 seasons that at least one Blue Dragon has been named All-American.

This past season, Franklin was Hutchinson's and the Jayhawk Conference's leading scorer at 22.0 points per game. That tied for the 10th-best scoring average in the nation in 2022-23.

Scoring 703 points and knocking down 80 3-point goals this season, Franklin helped the 2022-23 Blue Dragon set a school record for season scoring average at 97.2 points per game and break the Hutchinson team season 3-point record with 245 made 3-pointers this season.

Franklin shot 49.3 percent overall from the field (282 of 572), was 80 of 244 from 3-point range (32.8 percent) and 59 of 94 from the free-throw line (62.8 percent). Franklin also averaged a team-high 8.2 rebounds per game with a team-high 60 steals and 72 assists.

The Blue Dragon guard, who missed most of the 2021-22 season because of injuries, scored in double figures in all 32 games, including 19 games of 20 or more points and five games of 30 or more points. Franklin's season high was 38 points scored against Pratt on January 25 at the Sports Arena. Franklin posted 10 double-doubles, including a 25-point, 18 rebound performance against Seward County on January 7 at the Sports Arena.

Last month, Franklin was named the KJCCC's Freshman of the Year and was a first-team All-KJCCC and first-team All-Region VI selection.

Franklin became just the 12th Blue Dragon ever to reach the 700-point plateau in a season. His 22.0-point scoring average tied Tony Arrington for ninth in team history. Franklin's 80 3-pointers are third most in Blue Dragon single-season history and his 282 total field goals are 10th in team history.

Franklin is the second-straight Blue Dragon to lead the KJCCC in scoring – last season Angelo Stuart was the Jayhawk's leading scorer. Franklin also led the KJCCC with 116 offensive rebounds and 282 field goals. He was fifth in 3-pointers and 10th in the league with 55 steals.

Franklin is one of six freshmen on this year's All-America team. He is also one of three players from the Jayhawk Conference on the teams – Dodge City's Jason Edwards is on the first team and Garden City's Buru Naivalurua is on the second team.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680693333465.jpeg" alt="Aaron Franklin 3rd team All-American" />
 <figcaption>Aaron Franklin 3rd team All-American</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2022-23/div1/all-americans/index">CLICK FOR ENTIRE 2023 NJCAA DIVISION I ALL-AMERICA TEAM</a>Via Hutchinson CC Sports InformationHutchinson Community College freshman guard&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2022-23/bios/franklin_aaron_5xfv">Aaron Franklin</a>&nbsp;became the 36th player in Blue Dragon men's basketball history to be named to the NJCAA Division I All-America team.Franklin was named to the third team of the 2023 class of NJCAA All-Americans on Tuesday. The inclusion of Hutchinson's 6-foot-5 freshman from Kansas City, Missouri marks the third-straight season and the ninth in the last 10 seasons that at least one Blue Dragon has been named All-American.This past season, Franklin was Hutchinson's and the Jayhawk Conference's leading scorer at 22.0 points per game. That tied for the 10th-best scoring average in the nation in 2022-23.Scoring 703 points and knocking down 80 3-point goals this season, Franklin helped the 2022-23 Blue Dragon set a school record for season scoring average at 97.2 points per game and break the Hutchinson team season 3-point record with 245 made 3-pointers this season.Franklin shot 49.3 percent overall from the field (282 of 572), was 80 of 244 from 3-point range (32.8 percent) and 59 of 94 from the free-throw line (62.8 percent). Franklin also averaged a team-high 8.2 rebounds per game with a team-high 60 steals and 72 assists.The Blue Dragon guard, who missed most of the 2021-22 season because of injuries, scored in double figures in all 32 games, including 19 games of 20 or more points and five games of 30 or more points. Franklin's season high was 38 points scored against Pratt on January 25 at the Sports Arena. Franklin posted 10 double-doubles, including a 25-point, 18 rebound performance against Seward County on January 7 at the Sports Arena.Last month, Franklin was named the KJCCC's Freshman of the Year and was a first-team All-KJCCC and first-team All-Region VI selection.Franklin became just the 12th Blue Dragon ever to reach the 700-point plateau in a season. His 22.0-point scoring average tied Tony Arrington for ninth in team history. Franklin's 80 3-pointers are third most in Blue Dragon single-season history and his 282 total field goals are 10th in team history.Franklin is the second-straight Blue Dragon to lead the KJCCC in scoring – last season Angelo Stuart was the Jayhawk's leading scorer. Franklin also led the KJCCC with 116 offensive rebounds and 282 field goals. He was fifth in 3-pointers and 10th in the league with 55 steals.Franklin is one of six freshmen on this year's All-America team. He is also one of three players from the Jayhawk Conference on the teams – Dodge City's Jason Edwards is on the first team and Garden City's Buru Naivalurua is on the second team.

🏀 MBB: HutchCC's Aaron Franklin named 3rd Team All-American

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi and four relievers limited Kansas City to one run on four hits and the Toronto Blue Jays snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the Royals. Matt Chapman was 3-for-4 with a double for Toronto, and Whit Merrifield doubled and scored the go-ahead run in his first appearance at Kauffman Stadium since he was traded to the Blue Jays last August. Kikuchi allowed one run on three hits and retired the side in order three times over his five innings. Jordan Romano pitched a perfect ninth for his second save. Kris Bubic took the loss.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Austin Riley hit a two-run homer and Dylan Dodd pitched five strong innings in his major league debut, helping the Atlanta Braves beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1. Dodd allowed one run and six hits. The left-hander struck out three and walked none, throwing 52 of his 73 pitches for strikes. Jesse Chavez, Joe Jiménez, Dylan Lee and Kirby Yates combined for three scoreless innings before A.J. Minter worked a perfect ninth for his first save of the season. St. Louis got its only run on Willson Contreras’ RBI single in the fourth.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will Smith hit a two-run homer, Julio Urías tossed six scoreless innings to outpitch Germán Márquez, and Los Angeles defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-2 on Tuesday night. A night earlier, the Dodgers pounded out 13 hits and 13 runs to beat the Rockies. Smith has homered in three straight games. Jason Heyward connected for the second consecutive game and Max Muncy added a solo shot for the Dodgers, who have gone deep in six in a row. They lead the majors with 13 home runs.

NEW YORK (AP) — The average Major League Baseball salary was up 11.1% to a record $4.9 million to start this season, the biggest jump for the sport since 2001, according to a study by The Associated Press. The surge follows a spending spree in the first offseason since players and owners agreed to a five-year collective bargaining agreement last March. Texas Rangers second baseman and union executive subcommittee member Marcus Semien calls it “a step in the right direction.” The New York Mets led the way with a $355 million payroll, $70 million more than the previous high for a season’s start. Seven teams topped $200 million.

NEW YORK (AP) — Iowa standout Caitlin Clark says there’s no reason for LSU’s Angel Reese to be criticized on social media for waving her hand while staring down Clark during the women’s NCAA championship game. Clark made a similar face-waving gesture to no one in particular during Iowa’s Elite Eight victory. Clark said on ESPN's “Outside the Lines” that "everybody knew there was going to be a little bit of trash talk in the entire tournament. It’s not just me and Angel.” Social media was divided over the gesture, with some saying it was just part of the game and others saying Reese lacked grace in victory.

UGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Tiger Woods is at the Masters for the 25th time. Not even he knows how much longer he will keep playing. Woods says he doesn't know how many more he has in him because of injuries to his legs and back. He describes his right leg as being full of hardware. Woods brings a degree a normalcy to this Masters that is filled with chatter and speculation about LIV Golf. Woods still draws the biggest crowd. Now he sees if he can match the Masters record held by Fred Couples and Gary Player of making 23 cuts in a row.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Phil Mickelson returned to Augusta National on Tuesday for a practice round ahead of the Masters. He missed the event last year for the first time since 1994, after some controversial comments about the Saudi-backed LIV Golf breakaway circuit were published. Mickelson is now one of LIV Golf's star attractions. He is among 18 players from the circuit playing this week, including six former Masters champions. Mickelson called it his “favorite week” and lamented missing it a year ago. He also said he has no problems with players that have been critical of his decision to leave the PGA Tour, including 1992 champion Fred Couples, who recently referred to Mickelson as a “nutbag.”

UNDATED (AP) — The attorneys who beat the NCAA in the Supreme Court have filed a new class-action antitrust lawsuit against the association and the five wealthiest college sports conferences. The new suit seeks millions of dollars in damages for thousands of athletes. The case was filed in the Northern District of California the day after the NCAA Tournament concluded. The plaintiffs are listed as former Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard, who is currently with the Carolina Panthers, and former Auburn track athlete Keira McCarrell, but the lawsuit seeks triple damages for all current and former Division I athletes as far back as 2018.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has scrapped the idea of inviting to the White House the NCAA champion Louisiana State women’s basketball team along with Iowa’s players, who lost the title to LSU. First lady Jill Biden had suggested such a nontraditional scenario on Monday. But the social media pushback to her suggestion was swift and unexpected by her staff. Her spokesperson said Tuesday that the first lady looks forward to welcoming LSU. Iowa's star player, Caitlin Clark, says Louisiana State shouldn’t have to share the spotlight. The president tweets that both LSU and the winner of the NCAA men’s basketball title, the University of Connecticut, showed "the best of what this country can be.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680691607617.jpeg" alt="Sorts Headlines for Wednesday" />
 <figcaption>Sorts Headlines for Wednesday</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi and four relievers limited Kansas City to one run on four hits and the Toronto Blue Jays snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the Royals. Matt Chapman was 3-for-4 with a double for Toronto, and Whit Merrifield doubled and scored the go-ahead run in his first appearance at Kauffman Stadium since he was traded to the Blue Jays last August. Kikuchi allowed one run on three hits and retired the side in order three times over his five innings. Jordan Romano pitched a perfect ninth for his second save. Kris Bubic took the loss.ST. LOUIS (AP) — Austin Riley hit a two-run homer and Dylan Dodd pitched five strong innings in his major league debut, helping the Atlanta Braves beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1. Dodd allowed one run and six hits. The left-hander struck out three and walked none, throwing 52 of his 73 pitches for strikes. Jesse Chavez, Joe Jiménez, Dylan Lee and Kirby Yates combined for three scoreless innings before A.J. Minter worked a perfect ninth for his first save of the season. St. Louis got its only run on Willson Contreras’ RBI single in the fourth.LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will Smith hit a two-run homer, Julio Urías tossed six scoreless innings to outpitch Germán Márquez, and Los Angeles defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-2 on Tuesday night. A night earlier, the Dodgers pounded out 13 hits and 13 runs to beat the Rockies. Smith has homered in three straight games. Jason Heyward connected for the second consecutive game and Max Muncy added a solo shot for the Dodgers, who have gone deep in six in a row. They lead the majors with 13 home runs.NEW YORK (AP) — The average Major League Baseball salary was up 11.1% to a record $4.9 million to start this season, the biggest jump for the sport since 2001, according to a study by The Associated Press. The surge follows a spending spree in the first offseason since players and owners agreed to a five-year collective bargaining agreement last March. Texas Rangers second baseman and union executive subcommittee member Marcus Semien calls it “a step in the right direction.” The New York Mets led the way with a $355 million payroll, $70 million more than the previous high for a season’s start. Seven teams topped $200 million.NEW YORK (AP) — Iowa standout Caitlin Clark says there’s no reason for LSU’s Angel Reese to be criticized on social media for waving her hand while staring down Clark during the women’s NCAA championship game. Clark made a similar face-waving gesture to no one in particular during Iowa’s Elite Eight victory. Clark said on ESPN's “Outside the Lines” that "everybody knew there was going to be a little bit of trash talk in the entire tournament. It’s not just me and Angel.” Social media was divided over the gesture, with some saying it was just part of the game and others saying Reese lacked grace in victory.UGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Tiger Woods is at the Masters for the 25th time. Not even he knows how much longer he will keep playing. Woods says he doesn't know how many more he has in him because of injuries to his legs and back. He describes his right leg as being full of hardware. Woods brings a degree a normalcy to this Masters that is filled with chatter and speculation about LIV Golf. Woods still draws the biggest crowd. Now he sees if he can match the Masters record held by Fred Couples and Gary Player of making 23 cuts in a row.AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Phil Mickelson returned to Augusta National on Tuesday for a practice round ahead of the Masters. He missed the event last year for the first time since 1994, after some controversial comments about the Saudi-backed LIV Golf breakaway circuit were published. Mickelson is now one of LIV Golf's star attractions. He is among 18 players from the circuit playing this week, including six former Masters champions. Mickelson called it his “favorite week” and lamented missing it a year ago. He also said he has no problems with players that have been critical of his decision to leave the PGA Tour, including 1992 champion Fred Couples, who recently referred to Mickelson as a “nutbag.”UNDATED (AP) — The attorneys who beat the NCAA in the Supreme Court have filed a new class-action antitrust lawsuit against the association and the five wealthiest college sports conferences. The new suit seeks millions of dollars in damages for thousands of athletes. The case was filed in the Northern District of California the day after the NCAA Tournament concluded. The plaintiffs are listed as former Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard, who is currently with the Carolina Panthers, and former Auburn track athlete Keira McCarrell, but the lawsuit seeks triple damages for all current and former Division I athletes as far back as 2018.WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has scrapped the idea of inviting to the White House the NCAA champion Louisiana State women’s basketball team along with Iowa’s players, who lost the title to LSU. First lady Jill Biden had suggested such a nontraditional scenario on Monday. But the social media pushback to her suggestion was swift and unexpected by her staff. Her spokesperson said Tuesday that the first lady looks forward to welcoming LSU. Iowa's star player, Caitlin Clark, says Louisiana State shouldn’t have to share the spotlight. The president tweets that both LSU and the winner of the NCAA men’s basketball title, the University of Connecticut, showed "the best of what this country can be.”TUESDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal Miami 1 Minnesota 0Final Pittsburgh 4 Boston 1Final Philadelphia 4 N.Y. Yankees 1Final Tampa Bay 10 Washington 6AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal Toronto 4 Kansas City 1Final Baltimore 7 Texas 2Final Detroit 6 Houston 3Final Seattle 11 L.A. Angels 2Final Oakland 4 Cleveland 3NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal Arizona 8 San Diego 6Final Chicago Cubs 12 Cincinnati 5Final Milwaukee 9 N.Y. Mets 0Final Atlanta 4 St. Louis 1Final L.A. Dodgers 5 Colorado 2NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal Toronto 120 Charlotte 100Final Milwaukee 140 Washington 128Final Cleveland 117 Orlando 113Final Miami 118 Detroit 105Final Minnesota 107 Brooklyn 102Final Memphis 119 Portland 109Final Houston 124 Denver 103Final Sacramento 121 New Orleans 103Final Atlanta 123 Chicago 105Final Philadelphia 103 Boston 101Final OT L.A. Lakers 135 Utah 133Final Phoenix 115 San Antonio 94Final Golden State 136 Oklahoma City 125NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal Detroit 5 Montreal 0Final Toronto 4 Columbus 2Final New Jersey 5 Pittsburgh 1Final Florida 2 Buffalo 1Final OT Carolina 3 Ottawa 2Final St. Louis 4 Philadelphia 2Final OT Nashville 3 Vegas 2Final Chicago 4 Calgary 3Final Seattle 5 Vancouver 2Final OT Colorado 4 San Jose 3Final Edmonton 3 Los Angeles 1

📢📰 Sports Headlines for Wednesday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi and four relievers limited the Kansas City Royals to one run on four hits, and the Toronto Blue Jays snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory in Whit Merrifield's return to Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday night.

Matt Chapman was 3-for-4 with a double for Toronto, and Merrifield doubled and scored the go-ahead run in his first game back in the city where he spent most of seven seasons before he was traded last August.

“Awesome job by (Kikuchi),” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “Efficient with his pitch count. (He was) around the zone. A few less strikeouts than we saw in the spring, but it was an outstanding job.”

Kikuchi (1-0) allowed one run on three hits and retired the side in order three times over his five innings.

“I think I threw well overall,” Kikuchi said through an interpreter. “I felt pretty good for it to be the first start of the season. We obviously had a plan, but we didn't want to over-think it. We wanted to find what was working today.”

He was also helped by his defense, with left fielder Daulton Varsho throwing out Matt Duffy at the plate in the second inning.

“We're focusing and priding ourselves on that (play),” Schneider said. “It was a great throw and a great tag by Jano (Danny Jansen). It kind of squashed a little bit of momentum. Those things add up.”

Jordan Romano pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.

Kris Bubic (0-1) worked around trouble most of the night, only retiring the Blue Jays in order in the fifth, his last inning. He allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk. He was relieved by Carlos Hernandez, who yielded a home run to Varsho on his first pitch.

The Royals never could get the momentum back after the second.

“I thought we took some pretty good swings (against Kikuchi)," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. "He's tough. I think we laid off some of the tougher change-ups he threw. We put some swings on balls; we just missed a few. But overall he was efficient.”

Franmil Reyes got the Royals on the board in the second with his first hit in a Kansas City uniform, a 455-blast over the fountains in left center. Reyes had been 0-for-6 in his first two games with the Royals.

The Jays tied it in the top of the third. Bo Bichette, Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Chapman stroked consecutive singles, with Chapman driving in Bichette. Toronto added another run in the fourth. Merrifield led off with a double down the left-field line, went to third on a fly ball and scored on a wild pitch.

The Blue Jays will send RHP Alek Manoah (0-0, 13.50 ERA) to the mound to face Kansas City’s RHP Zach Greinke (0-1, 3.38 ERA) Wednesday night in the third game of a four-game series. Manoah got a no-decision on opening day when the Blue Jays defeated the Cardinals 10-9. Greinke allowed two runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings as the Royals lost to the Twins 2-0 on opening day.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi and four relievers limited the Kansas City Royals to one run on four hits, and the Toronto Blue Jays snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory in Whit Merrifield's return to Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday night.Matt Chapman was 3-for-4 with a double for Toronto, and Merrifield doubled and scored the go-ahead run in his first game back in the city where he spent most of seven seasons before he was traded last August.“Awesome job by (Kikuchi),” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “Efficient with his pitch count. (He was) around the zone. A few less strikeouts than we saw in the spring, but it was an outstanding job.”Kikuchi (1-0) allowed one run on three hits and retired the side in order three times over his five innings.“I think I threw well overall,” Kikuchi said through an interpreter. “I felt pretty good for it to be the first start of the season. We obviously had a plan, but we didn't want to over-think it. We wanted to find what was working today.”He was also helped by his defense, with left fielder Daulton Varsho throwing out Matt Duffy at the plate in the second inning.“We're focusing and priding ourselves on that (play),” Schneider said. “It was a great throw and a great tag by Jano (Danny Jansen). It kind of squashed a little bit of momentum. Those things add up.”Jordan Romano pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.Kris Bubic (0-1) worked around trouble most of the night, only retiring the Blue Jays in order in the fifth, his last inning. He allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk. He was relieved by Carlos Hernandez, who yielded a home run to Varsho on his first pitch.The Royals never could get the momentum back after the second.“I thought we took some pretty good swings (against Kikuchi)," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. "He's tough. I think we laid off some of the tougher change-ups he threw. We put some swings on balls; we just missed a few. But overall he was efficient.”Franmil Reyes got the Royals on the board in the second with his first hit in a Kansas City uniform, a 455-blast over the fountains in left center. Reyes had been 0-for-6 in his first two games with the Royals.The Jays tied it in the top of the third. Bo Bichette, Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Chapman stroked consecutive singles, with Chapman driving in Bichette. Toronto added another run in the fourth. Merrifield led off with a double down the left-field line, went to third on a fly ball and scored on a wild pitch.UP NEXTThe Blue Jays will send RHP Alek Manoah (0-0, 13.50 ERA) to the mound to face Kansas City’s RHP Zach Greinke (0-1, 3.38 ERA) Wednesday night in the third game of a four-game series. Manoah got a no-decision on opening day when the Blue Jays defeated the Cardinals 10-9. Greinke allowed two runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings as the Royals lost to the Twins 2-0 on opening day.

⚾️ Toronto ends 3-game skid in Whit Merrifield's return to KC

<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=b519dd8ef2&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Box Score</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=5c33d33777&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Season Statistics</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=790c0f3111&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Gallery</a>

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks defeated the Missouri State Bears in walk-off fashion Tuesday afternoon, winning on a wild pitch to earn a 9-8 victory in 10 innings.

Kansas has now won five in a row and has started the season 6-0 at Hoglund Ballpark under first-year coach Dan Fitzgerald. The Jayhawks began the winning streak last week against Creighton and continued it with a sweep of Big 12 foe Baylor last weekend, before Tuesday’s win over the Bears.

The Jayhawks had to stage a comeback to win Tuesday with Missouri State striking first as Spencer Nivens hit a two-run home run in the first inning.

Kansas (13-14, 3-3 Big 12) answered right back in the bottom of the second. After a successful challenge to keep the inning alive, freshman Jackson Kline ripped a two-out, two-RBI double to even the game at two after the second inning.

The Bears regained the lead in the fourth after Zack Stewart singled in Nivens. Missouri State (13-14, 2-4 MVC) added another run courtesy of a sacrifice fly to extend its lead to 4-2. Not long after, the Bears tacked on another run to make it a 5-2 game, and a three-run fourth inning for the Bears.

Missouri State would get busy in the sixth inning, as it collected another run courtesy of a Jake McCutcheon groundout to first that scored Dylan Robertson in the process. The very next at-bat, the Bears would send another baseball over the wall, to push their lead to 8-2.

Kansas began chipping away in the sixth as Luke Leto drove in Kodey Shojinaga on a sacrifice fly. Later in the inning, Kline added another RBI to his total, driving in Jake English on a groundout. The following at-bat, Chase Jans drove in two runners on a double. The Jayhawks scored four runs in the sixth inning all total, making it just a two-run lead for the Bears.

The Jayhawks come back to tie the ballgame in the eighth, as Leto brought home both Collier Cranford and Shojinaga on a two-RBI double that knocked off the batter’s eye.

As they continued to comeback, the Jayhawks relied on strong pitching on the mound In a relief effort, junior left-hander Stone Hewlett needed just 28 pitches to get through three innings of work against the Bears. Hewlett only allowed one hit in his relief outing. The Jayhawks threatened in the ninth, but couldn’t plate a run as the game headed to extras.

In the top of the 10th, the Bears went down in order as relief pitcher Hunter Cranton needed only eight pitches to cruise through the inning. In the bottom half of the 10th, the Jayhawks got the run they were looking for when Kline crossed home on a walk-off wild pitch to defeat the Bears 9-8.

PITCHERS OF RECORD Win: Hunter Cranton (3-2) Final line: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO Loss: Gage Bradley (0-2) Final line: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 SO

QUOTABLES “You just have to keep playing, sometimes when you look at it, you think you have to climb a mountain but in reality you just have to chip away.” – Coach Dan Fitzgerald on today’s comeback

“Today was huge, just to grind and come back from behind the whole game. Really the last four or five games, that’s all we’ve done, just stay in our game, do our thing, don’t let the other team mess with us, and we’ve just been able to grind it out.” – Jackson Kline

NOTES • Kansas remained undefeated at Hoglund Ballpark and improved to 6-0 this season. • Kansas has won five games in a row, outscoring opponents 42-23 during that stretch. • Kansas had its first walk-off win since May 9, 2021 vs. No. 24 Oklahoma State (W, 8-7). • Kansas won its first extra-inning game since April 10, 2021 at Oklahoma (W, 8-7 in 10 innings). • Kansas evened the all-time series against Missouri State as both teams have now won 32 games. Kansas now leads 20-14 at home. • Jans extended his on-base streak to 23 games, which is the longest of the sophomore’s career and the longest by a Jayhawk this season. He finished 3-for-6 with two doubles and two RBIs. • Kline drove in a career-high three RBIs on Tuesday.

UP NEXT Kansas will travel to Morgantown to take on West Virginia (21-7, 2-1 Big 12) for a weekend series. The first pitch of Friday’s game against WVU will be at 5:30 p.m. CT.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680691099168.jpeg" alt="KU Baseball extends winning streak to 5" />
 <figcaption>KU Baseball extends winning streak to 5</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=b519dd8ef2&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Box Score</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=5c33d33777&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Season Statistics</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=790c0f3111&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Gallery</a>LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks defeated the Missouri State Bears in walk-off fashion Tuesday afternoon, winning on a wild pitch to earn a 9-8 victory in 10 innings.Kansas has now won five in a row and has started the season 6-0 at Hoglund Ballpark under first-year coach Dan Fitzgerald. The Jayhawks began the winning streak last week against Creighton and continued it with a sweep of Big 12 foe Baylor last weekend, before Tuesday’s win over the Bears.The Jayhawks had to stage a comeback to win Tuesday with Missouri State striking first as Spencer Nivens hit a two-run home run in the first inning.Kansas (13-14, 3-3 Big 12) answered right back in the bottom of the second. After a successful challenge to keep the inning alive, freshman Jackson Kline ripped a two-out, two-RBI double to even the game at two after the second inning.The Bears regained the lead in the fourth after Zack Stewart singled in Nivens. Missouri State (13-14, 2-4 MVC) added another run courtesy of a sacrifice fly to extend its lead to 4-2. Not long after, the Bears tacked on another run to make it a 5-2 game, and a three-run fourth inning for the Bears.Missouri State would get busy in the sixth inning, as it collected another run courtesy of a Jake McCutcheon groundout to first that scored Dylan Robertson in the process. The very next at-bat, the Bears would send another baseball over the wall, to push their lead to 8-2.Kansas began chipping away in the sixth as Luke Leto drove in Kodey Shojinaga on a sacrifice fly. Later in the inning, Kline added another RBI to his total, driving in Jake English on a groundout. The following at-bat, Chase Jans drove in two runners on a double. The Jayhawks scored four runs in the sixth inning all total, making it just a two-run lead for the Bears.The Jayhawks come back to tie the ballgame in the eighth, as Leto brought home both Collier Cranford and Shojinaga on a two-RBI double that knocked off the batter’s eye.As they continued to comeback, the Jayhawks relied on strong pitching on the mound In a relief effort, junior left-hander Stone Hewlett needed just 28 pitches to get through three innings of work against the Bears. Hewlett only allowed one hit in his relief outing. The Jayhawks threatened in the ninth, but couldn’t plate a run as the game headed to extras.In the top of the 10th, the Bears went down in order as relief pitcher Hunter Cranton needed only eight pitches to cruise through the inning. In the bottom half of the 10th, the Jayhawks got the run they were looking for when Kline crossed home on a walk-off wild pitch to defeat the Bears 9-8.PITCHERS OF RECORD Win: Hunter Cranton (3-2) Final line: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO Loss: Gage Bradley (0-2) Final line: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 SOQUOTABLES “You just have to keep playing, sometimes when you look at it, you think you have to climb a mountain but in reality you just have to chip away.” – Coach Dan Fitzgerald on today’s comeback“Today was huge, just to grind and come back from behind the whole game. Really the last four or five games, that’s all we’ve done, just stay in our game, do our thing, don’t let the other team mess with us, and we’ve just been able to grind it out.” – Jackson KlineNOTES • Kansas remained undefeated at Hoglund Ballpark and improved to 6-0 this season. • Kansas has won five games in a row, outscoring opponents 42-23 during that stretch. • Kansas had its first walk-off win since May 9, 2021 vs. No. 24 Oklahoma State (W, 8-7). • Kansas won its first extra-inning game since April 10, 2021 at Oklahoma (W, 8-7 in 10 innings). • Kansas evened the all-time series against Missouri State as both teams have now won 32 games. Kansas now leads 20-14 at home. • Jans extended his on-base streak to 23 games, which is the longest of the sophomore’s career and the longest by a Jayhawk this season. He finished 3-for-6 with two doubles and two RBIs. • Kline drove in a career-high three RBIs on Tuesday.UP NEXT Kansas will travel to Morgantown to take on West Virginia (21-7, 2-1 Big 12) for a weekend series. The first pitch of Friday’s game against WVU will be at 5:30 p.m. CT.

⚾️ BSB: Jayhawks extend winning streak to five

Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– On the strength of its run to the Elite Eight, the Kansas State men’s basketball team finished with a No. 9 ranking in the final&nbsp;USA Today&nbsp;Coaches poll released on Tuesday (April 4) afternoon.

K-State (26-10, 11-7 Big 12) was among four Big 12 schools to finish in the Coaches Top 25, joining No. 7 Texas, No. 11 Kansas and No. 19 Baylor, while three others (TCU, West Virginia and Iowa State) received votes. National champion UConn was No. 1, followed by national runner-up San Diego State at No. 2, Miami at No. 3, Alabama at No. 4 and Florida Atlantic at No. 5. Incoming Big 12 member Houston finished at No. 6.

It marks the sixth time that K-State has appeared in the final&nbsp;USA Today&nbsp;Coaches poll since 2010, including the highest since finishing seventh in 2010. The Wildcats also appeared in the final Coaches poll for the first time since placing 19th&nbsp;in 2018-19. It is the school’s second-highest ranking (following 2010) since the coaches began doing a post NCAA Tournament poll in 1994.

K-State concluded the 2022-23 campaign with a 26-10 overall record, including a tie for third place in the Big 12 standings with an 11-7 mark, and the school’s 32nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 18th time after wins over Montana State and Kentucky in the first two rounds then made it to the Elite Eight for the 13th time after their victory over Michigan State on March 23.

The 26 wins are the third-most in school history, trailing the school-record 29 in 2009-10 and the 27 in 2012-13, and just the eighth 25-win season and the first since 2018-19.

Head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;was named Big 12 Coach of the Year by the league coaches and The Associated Press, while he was selected as the Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year on April 2. Senior&nbsp;Markquis Nowell&nbsp;capped his K-State career by becoming the first Wildcat to ever win the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard, while he was named the NCAA East Regional’s Most Outstanding Player after his memorable performance in the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 23.5 points, 13.5 assists and 4.0 steals during his 4-game NCAA Tournament run, including 25 points and 15.5 assists in the games against Michigan State and Florida Atlantic.

Nowell finished No. 4 in total points (94) in the NCAA Tournament behind UConn’s&nbsp;Adama Sanogo&nbsp;(118) and&nbsp;Jordan Hawkins&nbsp;(98) and Gonzaga’s&nbsp;Drew Timme&nbsp;(97), while his 54 assists are the third-most in the tournament’s history and the most since Michigan’s&nbsp;Rumeal Robinson&nbsp;had 56 in 1989.

Nowell dished out a tournament and school-record 19 assists in the win over the Spartans. He finished his college career with just the second 30-point, 10-assist game in school history, as he led the way with game-highs in points (30), assists (12) and steals (5) in playing all 40 minutes against the Owls. He is the first player with at least 25 points and 10 assists in a game in the Elite Eight or later since Marquette’s&nbsp;Dwyane Wade&nbsp;had a triple-double (29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists) against Kentucky in 2003.

Nowell was joined on several All-America teams by teammate&nbsp;Keyontae Johnson. The duo, who finished fourth among power conference players at 35 points per game, became the first Wildcat tandem to each earn All-America honors from the AP in the same season when they were selected to organization’s Third Team. Johnson, who was also selected to the NCAA East Regional All-Tournament, was the unanimous Big 12’s Newcomer of the Year, while both were named to the All-Big 12 First Team by the league coaches and the AP.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677751084912.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Kansas State AthleticsMANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– On the strength of its run to the Elite Eight, the Kansas State men’s basketball team finished with a No. 9 ranking in the final&nbsp;USA Today&nbsp;Coaches poll released on Tuesday (April 4) afternoon.K-State (26-10, 11-7 Big 12) was among four Big 12 schools to finish in the Coaches Top 25, joining No. 7 Texas, No. 11 Kansas and No. 19 Baylor, while three others (TCU, West Virginia and Iowa State) received votes. National champion UConn was No. 1, followed by national runner-up San Diego State at No. 2, Miami at No. 3, Alabama at No. 4 and Florida Atlantic at No. 5. Incoming Big 12 member Houston finished at No. 6.It marks the sixth time that K-State has appeared in the final&nbsp;USA Today&nbsp;Coaches poll since 2010, including the highest since finishing seventh in 2010. The Wildcats also appeared in the final Coaches poll for the first time since placing 19th&nbsp;in 2018-19. It is the school’s second-highest ranking (following 2010) since the coaches began doing a post NCAA Tournament poll in 1994.K-State concluded the 2022-23 campaign with a 26-10 overall record, including a tie for third place in the Big 12 standings with an 11-7 mark, and the school’s 32nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 18th time after wins over Montana State and Kentucky in the first two rounds then made it to the Elite Eight for the 13th time after their victory over Michigan State on March 23.The 26 wins are the third-most in school history, trailing the school-record 29 in 2009-10 and the 27 in 2012-13, and just the eighth 25-win season and the first since 2018-19.Head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;was named Big 12 Coach of the Year by the league coaches and The Associated Press, while he was selected as the Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year on April 2. Senior&nbsp;Markquis Nowell&nbsp;capped his K-State career by becoming the first Wildcat to ever win the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard, while he was named the NCAA East Regional’s Most Outstanding Player after his memorable performance in the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 23.5 points, 13.5 assists and 4.0 steals during his 4-game NCAA Tournament run, including 25 points and 15.5 assists in the games against Michigan State and Florida Atlantic.Nowell finished No. 4 in total points (94) in the NCAA Tournament behind UConn’s&nbsp;Adama Sanogo&nbsp;(118) and&nbsp;Jordan Hawkins&nbsp;(98) and Gonzaga’s&nbsp;Drew Timme&nbsp;(97), while his 54 assists are the third-most in the tournament’s history and the most since Michigan’s&nbsp;Rumeal Robinson&nbsp;had 56 in 1989.Nowell dished out a tournament and school-record 19 assists in the win over the Spartans. He finished his college career with just the second 30-point, 10-assist game in school history, as he led the way with game-highs in points (30), assists (12) and steals (5) in playing all 40 minutes against the Owls. He is the first player with at least 25 points and 10 assists in a game in the Elite Eight or later since Marquette’s&nbsp;Dwyane Wade&nbsp;had a triple-double (29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists) against Kentucky in 2003.Nowell was joined on several All-America teams by teammate&nbsp;Keyontae Johnson. The duo, who finished fourth among power conference players at 35 points per game, became the first Wildcat tandem to each earn All-America honors from the AP in the same season when they were selected to organization’s Third Team. Johnson, who was also selected to the NCAA East Regional All-Tournament, was the unanimous Big 12’s Newcomer of the Year, while both were named to the All-Big 12 First Team by the league coaches and the AP.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

🏀 MBB: K-State Finishes No. 9 in final USA Today Coaches Poll

<div><iframe title="Eagle Media Sports for April 4th, 2023" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=4ysa2-13d4815-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=7"></iframe></div><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

🎙 Eagle Media Sports for Tuesday, April 4th

Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics

WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;-- Wichita State right-handed pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/clark-candiotti/7475">Clark Candiotti</a>&nbsp;was selected to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll, the conference announced Monday. This is the third Honor Roll selection of the season for Candiotti, who was also honored on March 13 and March 27. Candiotti was brilliant in Wichita State's series-opening win against Cincinnati on Friday, allowing just two hits and one run over six excellent innings to pick up his third victory of the season. Candiotti retired the first 12 Bearcats he faced, finishing his day with seven strikeouts to just two walks.Wichita State's Friday night starter has been on a tear as of late; over his last four starts, Candiotti is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA, allowing only five earned runs in 24 innings. He has struck out 32 during that stretch (12.0 strikeouts per nine innings), while walking seven and allowing 17 hits. For the season, Candiotti is now 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA over seven starts spanning 37.1 innings.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680609641948.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;-- Wichita State right-handed pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/clark-candiotti/7475">Clark Candiotti</a>&nbsp;was selected to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll, the conference announced Monday. This is the third Honor Roll selection of the season for Candiotti, who was also honored on March 13 and March 27. Candiotti was brilliant in Wichita State's series-opening win against Cincinnati on Friday, allowing just two hits and one run over six excellent innings to pick up his third victory of the season. Candiotti retired the first 12 Bearcats he faced, finishing his day with seven strikeouts to just two walks.Wichita State's Friday night starter has been on a tear as of late; over his last four starts, Candiotti is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA, allowing only five earned runs in 24 innings. He has struck out 32 during that stretch (12.0 strikeouts per nine innings), while walking seven and allowing 17 hits. For the season, Candiotti is now 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA over seven starts spanning 37.1 innings.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

⚾ BSB: Candiotti claims third Honor Roll selection

Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics

WICHITA, Kan. -&nbsp;Another week, another honor for the two-time All-American, as&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;was named American Athletic Conference Player of the Week for a second time this season. The Norborne, Mo., native hit .571 in four games last week, racking up a home run, two doubles, four RBI and nine runs scored. McKinney had back-to-back games with three hits, and recorded her first career grand slam in Wichita State's 14-0 win vs. South Florida on Saturday. Over the weekend McKinney ran her career hit total to 345, moving into a tie for 18th all-time in the NCAA record book. The American also named&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/7249">Alex Aguilar</a>&nbsp;to the weekly honor roll. The freshman&nbsp;pitcher tossed her fourth complete game shutout in the Shockers' 14-0 run-rule of South Florida. She allowed only four hits, walking none and striking out two. Wichita State prepares to host the 2nd-ranked Oklahoma State Cowgirls Tuesday night in front of a sellout crowd at Wilkins Stadium. Player of the Week <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>, Sr., INF, Wichita State Pitcher of the Week Grace Jewell, Jr., RHP, UCF Honor Roll Shannon Doherty, Jr., 1B, UCF Madison Berner, Fr., OF, Memphis Rylee Keith, Sr., C, Tulsa Maura Moore, So., RHP, Tulsa <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/7249">Alex Aguilar</a>, Fr., RHP, Wichita State&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
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 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State AthleticsWICHITA, Kan. -&nbsp;Another week, another honor for the two-time All-American, as&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;was named American Athletic Conference Player of the Week for a second time this season. The Norborne, Mo., native hit .571 in four games last week, racking up a home run, two doubles, four RBI and nine runs scored. McKinney had back-to-back games with three hits, and recorded her first career grand slam in Wichita State's 14-0 win vs. South Florida on Saturday. Over the weekend McKinney ran her career hit total to 345, moving into a tie for 18th all-time in the NCAA record book. The American also named&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/7249">Alex Aguilar</a>&nbsp;to the weekly honor roll. The freshman&nbsp;pitcher tossed her fourth complete game shutout in the Shockers' 14-0 run-rule of South Florida. She allowed only four hits, walking none and striking out two. Wichita State prepares to host the 2nd-ranked Oklahoma State Cowgirls Tuesday night in front of a sellout crowd at Wilkins Stadium. Player of the Week <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>, Sr., INF, Wichita State Pitcher of the Week Grace Jewell, Jr., RHP, UCF Honor Roll Shannon Doherty, Jr., 1B, UCF Madison Berner, Fr., OF, Memphis Rylee Keith, Sr., C, Tulsa Maura Moore, So., RHP, Tulsa <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/7249">Alex Aguilar</a>, Fr., RHP, Wichita State&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

🥎 SB: McKinney takes home AAC Player of the Week honors

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas Athletics and K Club will honor Jayhawk greats Tony Sands and Nick Reid by inducting the duo into the Kansas football Ring of Honor at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium during Kansas’ October 7 game against UCF.

The Ring of Honor is the highest honor bestowed upon Kansas football letterwinners, with Sands and Reid becoming the 24th&nbsp;and 25th&nbsp;members to be inducted into the Ring of Honor.

Since coming to Lawrence, I have learned more and more about the great impact that both Tony and Nick have had on Kansas Football and their pride of being a Jayhawk. Both helped leave Kansas better than they found it and have provided an example for our current players, who are working hard to do the same. Nick and Tony both had the characteristics as players that we want our current team to have. I am excited for both of them and their families to be able to celebrate their careers and have their names inducted into the Ring of Honor on October 7.

Sands, a standout running back from 1988-91, amassed 3,788 rushing yards on 778 attempts and 28 touchdowns throughout his Jayhawk career, which all stood as school records upon his departure. In his final game in a KU uniform, Sands set the FBS record for rushing attempts (58) and rushing yards (396) in a 53-29 victory over Missouri on November 23, 1991, which still stands as KU’s single game rushing record.

Sands, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was the 1991 Big Eight Conference Offensive Player of the Year and was named Third Team All-America by the Associated Press.

Sands currently ranks second in school history in career rushing yards and rushing attempts. Throughout his career, Sands rushed for 100+ yards 17 times, which is the most in school history.

“It means the world to me, and not only me but to every teammate that had a part in it. It is unbelievable to have this recognition and to know that my name is going to be in the stadium up amongst the greats. When I go into the Ring of Honor, that means everyone that took part in my success goes in and that just means the world to me.”

Reid starred for the Jayhawks at linebacker from 2002-05, starting 40 games and playing in 48 in a Jayhawk uniform. A native of Derby, Reid totaled 416 tackles throughout his Kansas career, which ranks second in school history, while his 40.0 tackles-for-loss ranks fourth.

In 2005, Reid became the first Jayhawk to be named Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He is still the only KU player to ever receive the award. Reid was also named Third Team All-America by the Associated Press following his senior season.

Reid was a three-time All-Big 12 selection over his career, leading the Jayhawks in tackles in three consecutive seasons (2003-05). Along with his 416 career tackles and 40.0 tackles-for-loss, Reid finished his KU career with 14.0 sacks, three interceptions and six forced fumbles.

"I am truly honored to be getting this recognition, but I know for a fact, it wouldn’t have happened without my teammates. To think that my children will be able to take my grandchildren to Memorial Stadium and see my name in the Ring of Honor is more than I could have ever dreamt about. I am forever grateful to be a Jayhawk. Rock Chalk!"

Reid was a part of two bowl teams at Kansas, including the 2005 Fort Worth Bowl Champions and the 2003 Mazda Tangerine Bowl.

Sands and Reid will be joining Gilbert Brown, Larry Brown, Anthony Collins, Nolan Cromwell, Bobby Douglass, Ray Evans, John Hadl, Chris Harris Jr., David Jaynes, Bruce Kallmeyer, Curtis McClinton, Mike McCormack, George Mrkonic, Willie Pless, Todd Reesing, Gil Reich, Gale Sayers, Otto Schnellbacher, Oliver Spencer, Darrell Stuckey, John Riggins, Aqib Talib and John Zook in the Kansas football Ring of Honor.

More information on the induction ceremony will be released at a later date.

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 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas Athletics and K Club will honor Jayhawk greats Tony Sands and Nick Reid by inducting the duo into the Kansas football Ring of Honor at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium during Kansas’ October 7 game against UCF.The Ring of Honor is the highest honor bestowed upon Kansas football letterwinners, with Sands and Reid becoming the 24th&nbsp;and 25th&nbsp;members to be inducted into the Ring of Honor.Since coming to Lawrence, I have learned more and more about the great impact that both Tony and Nick have had on Kansas Football and their pride of being a Jayhawk. Both helped leave Kansas better than they found it and have provided an example for our current players, who are working hard to do the same. Nick and Tony both had the characteristics as players that we want our current team to have. I am excited for both of them and their families to be able to celebrate their careers and have their names inducted into the Ring of Honor on October 7.Sands, a standout running back from 1988-91, amassed 3,788 rushing yards on 778 attempts and 28 touchdowns throughout his Jayhawk career, which all stood as school records upon his departure. In his final game in a KU uniform, Sands set the FBS record for rushing attempts (58) and rushing yards (396) in a 53-29 victory over Missouri on November 23, 1991, which still stands as KU’s single game rushing record.Sands, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was the 1991 Big Eight Conference Offensive Player of the Year and was named Third Team All-America by the Associated Press.Sands currently ranks second in school history in career rushing yards and rushing attempts. Throughout his career, Sands rushed for 100+ yards 17 times, which is the most in school history.“It means the world to me, and not only me but to every teammate that had a part in it. It is unbelievable to have this recognition and to know that my name is going to be in the stadium up amongst the greats. When I go into the Ring of Honor, that means everyone that took part in my success goes in and that just means the world to me.”<figure>
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 </figure>Reid starred for the Jayhawks at linebacker from 2002-05, starting 40 games and playing in 48 in a Jayhawk uniform. A native of Derby, Reid totaled 416 tackles throughout his Kansas career, which ranks second in school history, while his 40.0 tackles-for-loss ranks fourth.In 2005, Reid became the first Jayhawk to be named Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He is still the only KU player to ever receive the award. Reid was also named Third Team All-America by the Associated Press following his senior season.Reid was a three-time All-Big 12 selection over his career, leading the Jayhawks in tackles in three consecutive seasons (2003-05). Along with his 416 career tackles and 40.0 tackles-for-loss, Reid finished his KU career with 14.0 sacks, three interceptions and six forced fumbles."I am truly honored to be getting this recognition, but I know for a fact, it wouldn’t have happened without my teammates. To think that my children will be able to take my grandchildren to Memorial Stadium and see my name in the Ring of Honor is more than I could have ever dreamt about. I am forever grateful to be a Jayhawk. Rock Chalk!"NICK REIDReid was a part of two bowl teams at Kansas, including the 2005 Fort Worth Bowl Champions and the 2003 Mazda Tangerine Bowl.Sands and Reid will be joining Gilbert Brown, Larry Brown, Anthony Collins, Nolan Cromwell, Bobby Douglass, Ray Evans, John Hadl, Chris Harris Jr., David Jaynes, Bruce Kallmeyer, Curtis McClinton, Mike McCormack, George Mrkonic, Willie Pless, Todd Reesing, Gil Reich, Gale Sayers, Otto Schnellbacher, Oliver Spencer, Darrell Stuckey, John Riggins, Aqib Talib and John Zook in the Kansas football Ring of Honor.More information on the induction ceremony will be released at a later date.

🏈 Sands, Reid to be inducted into Kansas Football Ring of Honor in 2023

HOUSTON (AP)&nbsp;— After six games and 240 minutes of pure dominance that ran through March, then part of April, it finally became clear there was only one thing that could stop the UConn Huskies.

The team from Storrs, Connecticut, topped off one of the most impressive March Madness runs in history Monday night, clamping down early, then breaking things open late to bring home its fifth national title with a 76-59 victory over San Diego State.

"We knew we were the best team in the tournament going in, and we just had to play to our level," said&nbsp;<a href="https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/dan-hurley/1049">Dan Hurley</a>, who joined Jim Calhoun and Kevin Ollie as the third coach to lead UConn to a title.

UConn's lanky star forward,&nbsp;<a href="https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/adama-sanogo/12464">Adama Sanogo</a>, won Most Outstanding Player honors, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the final, and&nbsp;<a href="https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/tristen-newton/12466">Tristen Newton</a>&nbsp;also had a double-double with 19 points and 10 boards.

The Huskies (31-8) became the fifth team&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">since the bracket expanded</a>&nbsp;in 1985 to win all six NCAA Tournament games by double-digits on the way to a championship. They won those six games by an average of an even 20 points, only a fraction less than what North Carolina did in sweeping to the title in 2009.

UConn built a 16-point lead late in the first half, only to see the Aztecs (32-7) trim it to five with 5:19 left. But&nbsp;<a href="https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/jordan-hawkins/12459">Jordan Hawkins</a>&nbsp;(16 points), — whose cousin, Angel Reese of LSU, won MOP honors in the women's tournament — answered with a 3 to trigger a 9-0 run. From there, the only drama left was whether UConn would cover the 7 1/2-point spread and go six for six with double-digit wins.

Keshad Johnson scored 14 points for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-final-four-fab-five-aztecs-uconn-f3d5ef6dde60d77de6f993ecd382772b">San Diego State</a>, which came up one win shy in this, its first trip to the Final Four. Darrion Trammell and Lamont Butler, he of buzzer-beater fame in the semifinal against Florida Atlantic, had 13 apiece.

San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher was an assistant with Michigan back in the Fab Five days, when the Wolverines lost in the final two years in a row. Now, he's 0 for 3 in the big one. One of the Fab Five, current Wolverines coach Juwan Howard, was there to console his former coach.

"We had to be at our best. We weren't at our best," Dutcher said. "A lot had to do with UConn."

UConn, the favorite and best-seeded team at No. 4 for this Final Four full of underdogs, set the stage for this win over an 11:07 stretch in the first half during which the Aztecs didn't make a basket. Unable to shoot over or go around this tall, long UConn team, they missed 14 straight shots from the floor.

They went from leading by four to trailing by 11, and when they weren't getting shots blocked (<a href="https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/alex-karaban/12525">Alex Karaban</a>&nbsp;had three and Sanogo had one) or altered on the inside, they were coming up short — a telltale sign of a team that was out of hops after that draining 72-71 buzzer-beater win two nights earlier.

UConn fan Bill Murray, whose son is an assistant for the Huskies, was one of the few celebrities on hand to watch them make it five for five in title games. This one&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/final-four-nantz-farewell-cbs-9e924c141b8baa7b4551be18906d2e02">marked the last that Jim Nantz would call</a>&nbsp;after 37 years behind the mic.

"The one thing I learned through all of this is, everybody has a dream and everybody has a story to tell. Just tried to find that story. Be kind," Nantz said as part of his final sign-off from the Final Four.

He's had a lot of UConn stories to tell over the years, though this certainly wasn't the most dramatic.

Even with that brief bout of uncertainty midway through the second half, UConn never truly let the fifth-seeded Aztecs, who overcame a 14-point deficit in the semifinal, start thinking about any more last-second dramatics.

This was a team built strictly for 2023 — replenished by Hurley, who didn't get much love in the preseason, even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-championship-uconn-san-diego-state-transfers-9a7deb04b97f310f2fb4526f56e9e067">after he went to the transfer portal</a>&nbsp;to find more outside shooting after back-to-back first-round exits in the tournament.

"We weren't ranked going into the year, so we had the chip on our shoulder," Hurley said. "We knew the level that we could play at, even through those dark times."

Despite the new-age roster building, there was something decidedly old-school about the way the Huskies took care of business in the early going.

They didn't even think much about 3-point shooting at the start — didn't make one until more than 13 minutes into the game — instead skip passing into Sanogo on the post and wearing down SDSU while building the early lead.

The Aztecs were too good a team to cave, and an over-pursuing defense is what triggered the late run to within five. But team built on defense finished the game only shooting 32% from the floor.

"We cut it to five. I think there were people in the stands that thought, 'Hey, they're capable of doing it again,' and we were," Dutcher said. "But we ran into too good of a team."

UConn's latest coronation makes Hurley the third coach to bring a trophy home to Storrs. He joins Calhoun (1999, 2004, 2001) and Ollie (2014).

And Sanogo —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-championship-uconn-san-diego-state-782bd15323bda90f2b664653cae99e6e">make that Adama</a>&nbsp;— adds himself to others on a first-name basis up on that campus — UConn legends like Kemba (Walker), Rip (Hamilton) and Emeka (Okafor). Sanogo averaged 19.7 points and 9.8 rebounds over UConn's six-game cruise through the tournament.

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 </figure>HOUSTON (AP)&nbsp;— After six games and 240 minutes of pure dominance that ran through March, then part of April, it finally became clear there was only one thing that could stop the UConn Huskies.The final buzzer.The team from Storrs, Connecticut, topped off one of the most impressive March Madness runs in history Monday night, clamping down early, then breaking things open late to bring home its fifth national title with a 76-59 victory over San Diego State."We knew we were the best team in the tournament going in, and we just had to play to our level," said&nbsp;<a href="https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/dan-hurley/1049">Dan Hurley</a>, who joined Jim Calhoun and Kevin Ollie as the third coach to lead UConn to a title.UConn's lanky star forward,&nbsp;<a href="https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/adama-sanogo/12464">Adama Sanogo</a>, won Most Outstanding Player honors, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the final, and&nbsp;<a href="https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/tristen-newton/12466">Tristen Newton</a>&nbsp;also had a double-double with 19 points and 10 boards.The Huskies (31-8) became the fifth team&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">since the bracket expanded</a>&nbsp;in 1985 to win all six NCAA Tournament games by double-digits on the way to a championship. They won those six games by an average of an even 20 points, only a fraction less than what North Carolina did in sweeping to the title in 2009.UConn built a 16-point lead late in the first half, only to see the Aztecs (32-7) trim it to five with 5:19 left. But&nbsp;<a href="https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/jordan-hawkins/12459">Jordan Hawkins</a>&nbsp;(16 points), — whose cousin, Angel Reese of LSU, won MOP honors in the women's tournament — answered with a 3 to trigger a 9-0 run. From there, the only drama left was whether UConn would cover the 7 1/2-point spread and go six for six with double-digit wins.Yes and Yes.Keshad Johnson scored 14 points for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-final-four-fab-five-aztecs-uconn-f3d5ef6dde60d77de6f993ecd382772b">San Diego State</a>, which came up one win shy in this, its first trip to the Final Four. Darrion Trammell and Lamont Butler, he of buzzer-beater fame in the semifinal against Florida Atlantic, had 13 apiece.San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher was an assistant with Michigan back in the Fab Five days, when the Wolverines lost in the final two years in a row. Now, he's 0 for 3 in the big one. One of the Fab Five, current Wolverines coach Juwan Howard, was there to console his former coach."We had to be at our best. We weren't at our best," Dutcher said. "A lot had to do with UConn."UConn, the favorite and best-seeded team at No. 4 for this Final Four full of underdogs, set the stage for this win over an 11:07 stretch in the first half during which the Aztecs didn't make a basket. Unable to shoot over or go around this tall, long UConn team, they missed 14 straight shots from the floor.They went from leading by four to trailing by 11, and when they weren't getting shots blocked (<a href="https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/alex-karaban/12525">Alex Karaban</a>&nbsp;had three and Sanogo had one) or altered on the inside, they were coming up short — a telltale sign of a team that was out of hops after that draining 72-71 buzzer-beater win two nights earlier.UConn fan Bill Murray, whose son is an assistant for the Huskies, was one of the few celebrities on hand to watch them make it five for five in title games. This one&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/final-four-nantz-farewell-cbs-9e924c141b8baa7b4551be18906d2e02">marked the last that Jim Nantz would call</a>&nbsp;after 37 years behind the mic."The one thing I learned through all of this is, everybody has a dream and everybody has a story to tell. Just tried to find that story. Be kind," Nantz said as part of his final sign-off from the Final Four.He's had a lot of UConn stories to tell over the years, though this certainly wasn't the most dramatic.Even with that brief bout of uncertainty midway through the second half, UConn never truly let the fifth-seeded Aztecs, who overcame a 14-point deficit in the semifinal, start thinking about any more last-second dramatics.This was a team built strictly for 2023 — replenished by Hurley, who didn't get much love in the preseason, even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-championship-uconn-san-diego-state-transfers-9a7deb04b97f310f2fb4526f56e9e067">after he went to the transfer portal</a>&nbsp;to find more outside shooting after back-to-back first-round exits in the tournament."We weren't ranked going into the year, so we had the chip on our shoulder," Hurley said. "We knew the level that we could play at, even through those dark times."Despite the new-age roster building, there was something decidedly old-school about the way the Huskies took care of business in the early going.They didn't even think much about 3-point shooting at the start — didn't make one until more than 13 minutes into the game — instead skip passing into Sanogo on the post and wearing down SDSU while building the early lead.The Aztecs were too good a team to cave, and an over-pursuing defense is what triggered the late run to within five. But team built on defense finished the game only shooting 32% from the floor."We cut it to five. I think there were people in the stands that thought, 'Hey, they're capable of doing it again,' and we were," Dutcher said. "But we ran into too good of a team."UConn's latest coronation makes Hurley the third coach to bring a trophy home to Storrs. He joins Calhoun (1999, 2004, 2001) and Ollie (2014).And Sanogo —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-championship-uconn-san-diego-state-782bd15323bda90f2b664653cae99e6e">make that Adama</a>&nbsp;— adds himself to others on a first-name basis up on that campus — UConn legends like Kemba (Walker), Rip (Hamilton) and Emeka (Okafor). Sanogo averaged 19.7 points and 9.8 rebounds over UConn's six-game cruise through the tournament.

🏀 MBB: UConn wins 5th National Championship

<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/sball/rankings/DI/index">NJCAA Div. I Softball Rankings: Week 6</a>

The ending of a 12-game win streak dropped the Hutchinson Community College softball team two spots to No. 15 in the latest NJCAA Division I softball rankings, which were released Monday.

The Blue Dragons, 28-5 overall this season, split their doubleheader Saturday at Colby, falling 7-6 in game one and bouncing back to win game two 8-5. Ranked No. 13 last week in the national poll, the Blue Dragons had won 12 straight games dating back to the doubleheader split at home against the Butler Grizzlies on March 4. The Blue Dragons have been on the road since March 11.

Following this weekend, the Blue Dragons and the now-No. 16 Grizzlies (25-7 overall) are tied for first in the Jayhawk Conference with a league record of 16-2.

The two league leaders meet in El Dorado for a doubleheader at 1p.m. Wednesday at East Park, which will wrap up a four-doubleheader road trip for the Blue Dragons.

Florida Southwestern is the No. 1 team in the nation for the second week in a row. Grayson follows suit at No. 2, and Northwest Florida State is No. 3. Odessa leaped from No. 6 to No. 4.

<figure>
 <img src="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2022-23/photos/0003/aspen.jpg?max_width=650" alt="Blue Dragon sophomore infielder Aspen Goetz homered in the doubleheader series against the Colby Trojans Saturday, April 1, 2023 after being named the NJCAA Div. I Player of the Week. (Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information)" />
 <figcaption>Blue Dragon sophomore infielder Aspen Goetz homered in the doubleheader series against the Colby Trojans Saturday, April 1, 2023 after being named the NJCAA Div. I Player of the Week. (Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information)</figcaption>
 </figure>Via Hutchinson CC Sports Information<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/sball/rankings/DI/index">NJCAA Div. I Softball Rankings: Week 6</a>The ending of a 12-game win streak dropped the Hutchinson Community College softball team two spots to No. 15 in the latest NJCAA Division I softball rankings, which were released Monday.The Blue Dragons, 28-5 overall this season, split their doubleheader Saturday at Colby, falling 7-6 in game one and bouncing back to win game two 8-5. Ranked No. 13 last week in the national poll, the Blue Dragons had won 12 straight games dating back to the doubleheader split at home against the Butler Grizzlies on March 4. The Blue Dragons have been on the road since March 11.Following this weekend, the Blue Dragons and the now-No. 16 Grizzlies (25-7 overall) are tied for first in the Jayhawk Conference with a league record of 16-2.The two league leaders meet in El Dorado for a doubleheader at 1p.m. Wednesday at East Park, which will wrap up a four-doubleheader road trip for the Blue Dragons.Florida Southwestern is the No. 1 team in the nation for the second week in a row. Grayson follows suit at No. 2, and Northwest Florida State is No. 3. Odessa leaped from No. 6 to No. 4.

🥎 SB: Blue Dragons Ranked 15th in weekly poll

KANSAS CITY, MO. (AP) —&nbsp;&nbsp;Brady Singer pitched five effective innings, MJ Melendez hit a two-run homer and the Kansas City Royals broke loose early to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-5 on Monday night for their first victory of the season.

Nicky Lopez had a two-run triple and Bobby Witt Jr. delivered a pair of RBI singles as the Royals opened a 7-0 lead in the fourth against José Berríos and gave Matt Quatraro his first win as manager.

“They dumped some champagne on me, sprayed it in my face, turned out the lights,” Quatraro said.

“The first one’s always the hardest,” Lopez said. “We showered him for his first win. He deserves it. It’s fun playing for him.”

Singer (1-0) allowed just two hits — doubles by Matt Chapman — with three walks and three strikeouts.

“He came out firing,” Quatraro said. “It seemed like every pitch he threw was a strike and the (velocity) was up. He had really good command of the two-seamer.”

Singer is 7-0 with a 1.68 ERA in his last 10 starts at Kauffman Stadium dating to June 26 last year.

“I felt good,” he said. “The fastball had some good life. The velo was pretty good all game. The slider got me out of a few situations. It had some better bite on it tonight.”

Toronto mounted a fifth-inning charge, loading the bases with a double and a pair of walks, but Singer limited the damage with a double-play grounder that scored one run.

Kansas City was shut out twice by Minnesota last weekend while losing its first three games. After entering with a major league-worst .133 batting average, the Royals greeted Berríos (0-1) with four first-inning hits, producing three runs and their first lead of the season.

“To do it early, to let them relax a little, and then to add on was a big plus,” Quatraro said. “(The hitters) were well prepared. Listening to what they were saying about how Berríos was going to pitch and what they were looking for.”

Berríos went 5 2/3 innings in his season debut, allowing eight runs on nine hits and striking out seven.

Lopez’s two-run triple highlighted a four-run fourth as Kansas City expanded its lead to 7-0.

“We came out swinging,” Lopez said. “Sometimes you can start off slow. Just come in every day and work your tail off, and that’s what we do.”

Melendez capped the scoring in the sixth with a two-run homer, his first of the year and the longest of his career at 443 feet.

“It was a great feeling,” Melendez said. “Trying to find a pitch I could hit and be on time with it.”

“He crushed that ball,” Quatraro said. “He got us going with the leadoff double. The home run was more separation. (Toronto) can score in a heartbeat, so any separation you can get is huge.”

Witt also had Kansas City’s first stolen base of the year, while five Royals collected their first hits and RBI.

“Just getting the first win of the season was a huge thing for us,” Melendez said. “I think we were pressing a little bit. We got the offense started early and continued throughout the game.”

Four consecutive singles off Royals relievers led to a pair of seventh-inning runs, but the Blue Jays left the bases loaded. Toronto stranded seven in scoring position, going 2 for 11 in those situations.

Bo Bichette drilled Toronto’s first homer of the year leading off the ninth. The Blue Jays had gone without a long ball in their first three games — their longest drought to begin a season.

Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi and Kansas City’s Kris Bubic will make their season debuts Tuesday evening.

KANSAS CITY, MO. (AP) —&nbsp;&nbsp;Brady Singer pitched five effective innings, MJ Melendez hit a two-run homer and the Kansas City Royals broke loose early to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-5 on Monday night for their first victory of the season.Nicky Lopez had a two-run triple and Bobby Witt Jr. delivered a pair of RBI singles as the Royals opened a 7-0 lead in the fourth against José Berríos and gave Matt Quatraro his first win as manager.“They dumped some champagne on me, sprayed it in my face, turned out the lights,” Quatraro said.And his players were thrilled for him.“The first one’s always the hardest,” Lopez said. “We showered him for his first win. He deserves it. It’s fun playing for him.”Singer (1-0) allowed just two hits — doubles by Matt Chapman — with three walks and three strikeouts.“He came out firing,” Quatraro said. “It seemed like every pitch he threw was a strike and the (velocity) was up. He had really good command of the two-seamer.”Singer is 7-0 with a 1.68 ERA in his last 10 starts at Kauffman Stadium dating to June 26 last year.“I felt good,” he said. “The fastball had some good life. The velo was pretty good all game. The slider got me out of a few situations. It had some better bite on it tonight.”Toronto mounted a fifth-inning charge, loading the bases with a double and a pair of walks, but Singer limited the damage with a double-play grounder that scored one run.Kansas City was shut out twice by Minnesota last weekend while losing its first three games. After entering with a major league-worst .133 batting average, the Royals greeted Berríos (0-1) with four first-inning hits, producing three runs and their first lead of the season.“To do it early, to let them relax a little, and then to add on was a big plus,” Quatraro said. “(The hitters) were well prepared. Listening to what they were saying about how Berríos was going to pitch and what they were looking for.”Berríos went 5 2/3 innings in his season debut, allowing eight runs on nine hits and striking out seven.Lopez’s two-run triple highlighted a four-run fourth as Kansas City expanded its lead to 7-0.“We came out swinging,” Lopez said. “Sometimes you can start off slow. Just come in every day and work your tail off, and that’s what we do.”Melendez capped the scoring in the sixth with a two-run homer, his first of the year and the longest of his career at 443 feet.“It was a great feeling,” Melendez said. “Trying to find a pitch I could hit and be on time with it.”“He crushed that ball,” Quatraro said. “He got us going with the leadoff double. The home run was more separation. (Toronto) can score in a heartbeat, so any separation you can get is huge.”Witt also had Kansas City’s first stolen base of the year, while five Royals collected their first hits and RBI.“Just getting the first win of the season was a huge thing for us,” Melendez said. “I think we were pressing a little bit. We got the offense started early and continued throughout the game.”Four consecutive singles off Royals relievers led to a pair of seventh-inning runs, but the Blue Jays left the bases loaded. Toronto stranded seven in scoring position, going 2 for 11 in those situations.Bo Bichette drilled Toronto’s first homer of the year leading off the ninth. The Blue Jays had gone without a long ball in their first three games — their longest drought to begin a season.UP NEXTToronto’s Yusei Kikuchi and Kansas City’s Kris Bubic will make their season debuts Tuesday evening.

⚾ BSB: Singer, Lopez lead Royals past Blue Jays 9-5 for 1st win

WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;Wichita State softball and Wilkins Stadium will host the 2024 American Athletic Conference Championship, it was announced by the league Monday morning. Wichita State will have invested more than $2 million into renovations to Wilkins Stadium which includes new lights, batting cages, outfield turf and third base dugout. Turf is scheduled to be installed in the outfield and on the warning track, foul territory and apron areas at Wilkins Stadium this summer. The tournament will come to Wichita for the first time as a member of the American. Wichita State hasn't hosted a conference tournament since 2015 when the Shockers were still in the Missouri Valley Conference. It will only be the fifth time ever Wichita State softball has served as the host site for a conference championship. "I am excited and grateful to host the AAC tournament in 2024," said head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/kristi-bredbenner/1072">Kristi Bredbenner</a>. "This is a testament to the investment that Wichita State University and the athletic department have made in the softball program. The improvements to Wilkins Stadium and the new hitting facility will allow us to run a first-class event." Dates will be announced at a later time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680613873050.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State AthleticsWICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;Wichita State softball and Wilkins Stadium will host the 2024 American Athletic Conference Championship, it was announced by the league Monday morning. Wichita State will have invested more than $2 million into renovations to Wilkins Stadium which includes new lights, batting cages, outfield turf and third base dugout. Turf is scheduled to be installed in the outfield and on the warning track, foul territory and apron areas at Wilkins Stadium this summer. The tournament will come to Wichita for the first time as a member of the American. Wichita State hasn't hosted a conference tournament since 2015 when the Shockers were still in the Missouri Valley Conference. It will only be the fifth time ever Wichita State softball has served as the host site for a conference championship. "I am excited and grateful to host the AAC tournament in 2024," said head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/kristi-bredbenner/1072">Kristi Bredbenner</a>. "This is a testament to the investment that Wichita State University and the athletic department have made in the softball program. The improvements to Wilkins Stadium and the new hitting facility will allow us to run a first-class event." Dates will be announced at a later time.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

🥎 SB: Wichita State to host 2024 American Athletic Conference Championship

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Buhler boys and girls bowling coach Skip Willson has been named the 4-1A bowling coach of the year by the Kansas High School Bowling Association.&nbsp; 

Wilson has been the coach at Buhler for 10 years and this is the 4th time he's been honored as coach of the year.&nbsp; 

Wilson won girls state titles at Buhler in 2012 and 2019.&nbsp; In Kansas, classes 5-1A compete&nbsp;together, or Buhler would have many more titles as a stand alone 4A school.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Skip also won a national championship as a player with Wichita State in 1980, the first national championship of 12 for the Shocker men's bowling team.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654809226004.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>ROB DREHER Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Buhler boys and girls bowling coach Skip Willson has been named the 4-1A bowling coach of the year by the Kansas High School Bowling Association.&nbsp; Wilson has been the coach at Buhler for 10 years and this is the 4th time he's been honored as coach of the year.&nbsp; Wilson won girls state titles at Buhler in 2012 and 2019.&nbsp; In Kansas, classes 5-1A compete&nbsp;together, or Buhler would have many more titles as a stand alone 4A school.&nbsp; &nbsp;Skip also won a national championship as a player with Wichita State in 1980, the first national championship of 12 for the Shocker men's bowling team. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

🎳 BOWL: Wilson named Coach of the Year

KANSAS CITY, MO. (AP) — Joey Gallo hit two home runs, Joe Ryan gave up one run over six innings and the Minnesota Twins completed a sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 7-4 victory on Sunday.

Gallo hit his first home run of the game in the sixth inning and in the next frame belted a three-run blast over the right field bullpen to extend the Twins' lead to 6-1. It was his 16th career multi-homer game.

“Obviously, you want to start off well and it's really early, but I wanted to help my team and I felt like I wasn't contributing as much as I wanted to the first couple of games, but it's good to have a good day today,” Gallo said. “We've been working a lot and even worked after the game for like 30 to 45 minutes yesterday with all the hitting coaches. I've been feeling pretty good, so hopeful keep that going.”

After failing to score in the first two games of the season, the Royals finally got a run in the second inning on Edward Olivares' homer. That broke a 19-inning scoreless streak — the team's longest drought to start a season in franchise history.

“You hope it is momentum, but tomorrow is a new day," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. "Just because you don’t get runs one day doesn’t mean you can’t the next and vice versa. These guys are working hard, the mood was good and the work before that game was good so it is not something to be concerned about.”

The home run was the only blemish for Ryan (1-0). He went six innings, struck out six and allowed one earned run, three hits and two walks. Brad Keller (0-1) threw 4 ⅔ innings, giving up two earned runs, five hits, four walks and fanned six.

“As he found his off-speed pitches, the game changed for him,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I think he was battling himself for a little bit and probably only had one pitch to work with in the first couple of innings.”

In his first start as a Royal, Matt Duffy hit a two-run homer to left field into the fountains, but it wasn’t enough for Kansas City.

“I think we showed some signs (of offensive momentum) today," Duffy said. "The beginning of the season is tough because everyone is looking for that first hit. Once you get that out of the way, you can settle into the season. It was a tough first couple of games, but adjustments were made, which is what you look for in a young team.”

The Twins swept their opening series for the first time since 2017, when they also did it against Kansas City.

The Kansas City trio of MJ Melendez, Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino is a combined 1-for-28 with 10 strikeouts to start its second-year campaigns.

“If those guys are on base, it is easier to score runs," Quatraro said. “If they can get on, we have a better chance of scoring.”

Twins: Send RHP Tyler Mahle to the mound Monday as they continue their road trip in Miami, where they'll faceRHP Johnny Cueto.

Royals: Kansas City goes with RHP Brady Singer when they host Toronto and RHP Jose Berrios on Monday to start a four-game set.

KANSAS CITY, MO. (AP) — Joey Gallo hit two home runs, Joe Ryan gave up one run over six innings and the Minnesota Twins completed a sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 7-4 victory on Sunday.Gallo hit his first home run of the game in the sixth inning and in the next frame belted a three-run blast over the right field bullpen to extend the Twins' lead to 6-1. It was his 16th career multi-homer game.“Obviously, you want to start off well and it's really early, but I wanted to help my team and I felt like I wasn't contributing as much as I wanted to the first couple of games, but it's good to have a good day today,” Gallo said. “We've been working a lot and even worked after the game for like 30 to 45 minutes yesterday with all the hitting coaches. I've been feeling pretty good, so hopeful keep that going.”After failing to score in the first two games of the season, the Royals finally got a run in the second inning on Edward Olivares' homer. That broke a 19-inning scoreless streak — the team's longest drought to start a season in franchise history.“You hope it is momentum, but tomorrow is a new day," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. "Just because you don’t get runs one day doesn’t mean you can’t the next and vice versa. These guys are working hard, the mood was good and the work before that game was good so it is not something to be concerned about.”The home run was the only blemish for Ryan (1-0). He went six innings, struck out six and allowed one earned run, three hits and two walks. Brad Keller (0-1) threw 4 ⅔ innings, giving up two earned runs, five hits, four walks and fanned six.“As he found his off-speed pitches, the game changed for him,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I think he was battling himself for a little bit and probably only had one pitch to work with in the first couple of innings.”In his first start as a Royal, Matt Duffy hit a two-run homer to left field into the fountains, but it wasn’t enough for Kansas City.“I think we showed some signs (of offensive momentum) today," Duffy said. "The beginning of the season is tough because everyone is looking for that first hit. Once you get that out of the way, you can settle into the season. It was a tough first couple of games, but adjustments were made, which is what you look for in a young team.”The Twins swept their opening series for the first time since 2017, when they also did it against Kansas City.SLOW SOPHOMORE STARTSThe Kansas City trio of MJ Melendez, Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino is a combined 1-for-28 with 10 strikeouts to start its second-year campaigns.“If those guys are on base, it is easier to score runs," Quatraro said. “If they can get on, we have a better chance of scoring.”UP NEXTTwins: Send RHP Tyler Mahle to the mound Monday as they continue their road trip in Miami, where they'll faceRHP Johnny Cueto.Royals: Kansas City goes with RHP Brady Singer when they host Toronto and RHP Jose Berrios on Monday to start a four-game set.

⚾ BSB: Gallo blasts 2 homers, Twins sweep Royals

HOUSTON, Texas –&nbsp;Kansas redshirt-junior Jalen Wilson has been named the recipient of the Julius Erving Award honoring the men’s basketball top small forward in NCAA Division I for the 2022-23 season. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the honor and its Men’s Starting Five Saturday on ESPN College GameDay which originated from the Final Four in Houston for the announcement.

Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor in its ninth year.&nbsp; Wilson has been on the Julius Erving Award watch lists since the beginning of the season. He was one of five finalists for the honor that included Brandon Miller (Alabama), Julian Strawther (Gonzaga), Keyontae Johnson (Kansas State) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA).

“I am very honored to receive this award,” Wilson said. “Julius Erving is one of the greatest players of all time. I want to congratulate the other finalists on having great seasons. I want to thank Coach Self and the other coaches helping me become the player I am today. More importantly, I want to thank my teammates, my brothers, who pushed me every day. Though we did not achieve our ultimate goal, we did have a great season, winning the Big 12 in the toughest conference in the nation. Playing at Kansas is a blessing and winning this award represents KU as much as me.”

One of four Naismith Trophy and one of five Wooden Award finalists, Wilson is Kansas’ 32nd&nbsp;all-time Consensus All-America First Team honoree. The unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team selection, Wilson led the Big 12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game, rebounds at 8.3 and double-doubles with 12. The Denton, Texas, forward posted three 30-point performances and had 22 games of 20 or more points scored this season, including each of his last seven contests. Wilson is the seventh player in Big 12 history to lead the league in scoring and rebounding in the same season, including the fourth Jayhawk to earn the distinction.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680384230809.jpeg" alt="KU mbb Jalen Wilson wins Julius Erving Award vis KU Sports" />
 <figcaption>KU mbb Jalen Wilson wins Julius Erving Award vis KU Sports</figcaption>
 </figure>HOUSTON, Texas –&nbsp;Kansas redshirt-junior Jalen Wilson has been named the recipient of the Julius Erving Award honoring the men’s basketball top small forward in NCAA Division I for the 2022-23 season. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the honor and its Men’s Starting Five Saturday on ESPN College GameDay which originated from the Final Four in Houston for the announcement.Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor in its ninth year.&nbsp; Wilson has been on the Julius Erving Award watch lists since the beginning of the season. He was one of five finalists for the honor that included Brandon Miller (Alabama), Julian Strawther (Gonzaga), Keyontae Johnson (Kansas State) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA).“I am very honored to receive this award,” Wilson said. “Julius Erving is one of the greatest players of all time. I want to congratulate the other finalists on having great seasons. I want to thank Coach Self and the other coaches helping me become the player I am today. More importantly, I want to thank my teammates, my brothers, who pushed me every day. Though we did not achieve our ultimate goal, we did have a great season, winning the Big 12 in the toughest conference in the nation. Playing at Kansas is a blessing and winning this award represents KU as much as me.”One of four Naismith Trophy and one of five Wooden Award finalists, Wilson is Kansas’ 32nd&nbsp;all-time Consensus All-America First Team honoree. The unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team selection, Wilson led the Big 12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game, rebounds at 8.3 and double-doubles with 12. The Denton, Texas, forward posted three 30-point performances and had 22 games of 20 or more points scored this season, including each of his last seven contests. Wilson is the seventh player in Big 12 history to lead the league in scoring and rebounding in the same season, including the fourth Jayhawk to earn the distinction.On nearly every national player of the year watch list, Wilson is just the 10th player in Kansas men’s basketball history to record 1,400-plus career points and 800-plus career rebounds and the first since Perry Ellis (2013-16). Wilson’s 1,475 points rank 27th on the KU career list and his 802 rebounds are 14th in school history. Wilson’s 28 career double-doubles are ninth on the KU all-time list.Previous winners of the Julius Erving Award are Wendell Moore Jr., Duke (2022), Corey Kispert, Gonzaga (2021), Saddiq Bey, Villanova (2020), Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga (2019), Mikal Bridges, Villanova (2018), Josh Hart, Villanova (2017), Denzel Valentine, Michigan State (2016) and Stanley Johnson, Arizona (2015).The Julius Erving Award is one of the Hall of Fame’s Men’s Starting Five honors. Other awards presented include the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard), Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Karl Malone Award (Power Forward) and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center). Kansas’ Frank Mason III was the 2017 recipient of the Bob Cousy Award.Jalen Wilson 2022-23 Honors Julius Erving Award Recipient Consensus All-America First Team Wooden Award Finalist (1 of 5) Wooden Award All-AmericanNaismith Trophy Finalist (1 of 4) USBWA All-America First Team NABC All-America First Team Associated Press All-America First Team USBWA All-District VI Player of the Year USBWA All-District VI Team NABC All-District 8 First Team Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team The Sporting News All-America First Team Big 12 Player of the Year (unanimous selection) All-Big 12 First Team (unanimous selection) Oscar Robertson Trophy Late Season Watch List (1 of 15) Big 12 Player of the Week (12.5.22) Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament Team Preseason All-Big 12