Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Ochai Agbaji made the go-ahead layup with 13 seconds left and finished with 23 points as No. 5 Kansas beat No. 14 Texas Tech 58-57. The win was the 30th in a row for the Jayhawks in a conference opener. Agbaji made four 3-pointers but got the game-winning points for the 7-1 Jayhawks when he worked inside and took an inbound pass from Marcus Garrett. Texas Tech had one more chance, but Terrence Shannon's mid-range jumper was blocked by Jalen Wilson to end the game. Shannon had 20 points with four 3s for the 6-2 Red Raiders, while Mac McClung had 21 points.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — With six 100-yard receiving games already, the Chiefs' Travis Kelce is poised to become the first tight end in NFL history to lead the league in receiving. He has 1,250 yards with three games still to play, giving him a 70-yard lead over Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf and another 13 yards over the Buffalo Bills' Stefon Diggs — oh, and teammate Tyreek Hill is at 1,158 yards. Kelce is having just as special of a year off the field, too. He was recently made the Chiefs nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his work with children from impoverished backgrounds.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is finally getting his first chance to play in a city where he very well might have ended up starting his NFL career if Kansas City hadn't traded up to get him. Saints coach Sean Payton has said Mahomes and Marshon Lattimore were the top two prospects under consideration with the 11th overall pick in 2017 when the Chiefs traded for the 10th overall pick and took the QB that led them to last season's Super Bowl triumph. Lattimore says it worked out well for both teams and that he is excited to play against Mahomes.

NEW YORK (AP) — Marcus Zegarowski scored 20 points, shooting 6 for 7 from 3-point range, and No. 9 Creighton cruised to a 94-76 victory over St. John's. Denzel Mahoney had 16 points and freshman center Ryan Kalkbrenner added a season-best 15 off the bench to help the Bluejays bounce back from a home loss to Marquette in their conference opener Monday night. Damien Jefferson had 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Christian Bishop added 11 points and 10 rebounds for Creighton. Julian Champagnie led the Red Storm with 17 points as St. John's fell to 0-3 in Big East play.&nbsp;

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Javonte Perkins scored 20 points, Jordan Goodwin had 16 points and a season-high 15 rebounds and Saint Louis beat North Carolina State 80-69. &nbsp;Saint Louis (6-0) has won 11 consecutive games dating to last season. Manny Bates scored 20 points, including three second-half dunks, and a career-high eight blocks to lead N.C. State (3-1). The Wolfpack played their first game in two weeks after having games with Connecticut, Michigan and Florida Atlantic canceled, and Louisville postponed. Perkins had nine points as part of 22-11 closing run, and his jumper stretched the Billikens' lead to 77-65 with 1:31 to play.&nbsp;

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Iowa State has swept the Big 12's top individual football awards as determined by a vote of the league coaches. Running back Breece Hall has been named the conference's offensive player of the year and junior linebacker Mike Rose the top defensive player. Iowa State's Matt Campbell was named the league's coach of the year in the All-Big 12 selections. The Cyclones play five-time defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma in conference championship game Saturday.&nbsp;

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — No. 8 Iowa State will have to beat No. 12 Oklahoma again to win the Big 12 title. The first conference championship game in school history for the 8-2 Cyclones is a rematch against the 7-2 Sooners. Oklahoma is going for its sixth Big 12 title in a row on Saturday. The Sooners have won six games in a row since their 37-30 loss to the Cyclones on October 3. Iowa State has a five-game winning streak since its only Big 12 loss to Oklahoma State. &nbsp;

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Dalano Banton had a triple-double to lead Nebraska to a 110-64 victory over NAIA-member Doane. Banton had 13 points, 11 rebounds, and matched a career-best with 10 assists. He also blocked three shots, and has reached double figure scoring in each game this season. Teddy Allen, who entered sixth in the Big Ten in scoring, had 11 of his 16 points in the first half for Nebraska (4-3). &nbsp;Yvan Ouedraogo had career highs with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Trevor Lakes chipped in 12 points, on four 3-pointers, in his Nebraska debut. Joe Burt and Trey Winkler scored 11 points apiece for Doane.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A long pass and a quarterback sneak may have ended the Las Vegas Raiders' playoff bid.

Justin Herbert plunged into the end zone in overtime to give the Chargers a 30-27 victory over the Raiders.

Las Vegas kicked a field goal without about 3 ½ minutes showing on the clock in OT before Herbert set up the winning score with a 53-yard throw to Jalen Guyton.

Herbert was 22 of 32 for 314 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions to help Los Angeles end a 10-game losing streak against AFC West opponents.

Raiders backup Marcus Mariota (mar-ee-OH'-tah) accounted for 314 yards and two touchdowns after Derek Carr left in the first quarter with a groin injury. Mariota passed for 226 yards and a TD and ran nine times for 88 yards.

The loss leaves the Raiders 7-7 and damages their postseason hopes.

Giants coordinator Jason Garrett tests positive

UNDATED (AP) — New York Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns. 

Tight end coach Freddie Kitchens will call the plays against the team he coached last year. 

The Giants also announced that cornerback James Bradberry has been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list after being in close contact with an individual outside the organization who has tested positive. Bradberry won't be available against Cleveland.

— Washington has put safety Deshazor Everett on injured reserve with a pectoral muscle injury that also affected his shoulder. In another move, Washington signed running back Lamar Miller off of the Chicago Bears' practice squad. 

— Former Ravens running back Lorenzo Taliaferro has died at the age of 28. No cause was given. Taliaferro ran for 339 yards and scored five touchdowns during three injury-riddled seasons with Baltimore before being cut in 2017. 

— Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry called Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters "a coward" for appearing to spit at him during Monday night's game. A video taken from the national TV broadcast at the end of the first quarter appears to show Peters spitting in Landry's direction. Landry has his back turned and is walking away toward Cleveland's huddle when Peters spits. 

UNDATED (AP) — Kansas won a top-25 matchup on Thursday, while Creighton bounced back from Monday's home loss to Marquette.

Ochai Agbaji (OH'-chy ahg-BAH'-jee) provided the go-ahead layup with 13 seconds left and finished with 23 points as the fifth-ranked Jayhawks downed No. 14 Texas Tech, 58-57. 

Agbaji made four 3-pointers and Jalen Wilson clinched the Jayhawks' seventh straight win by blocking a mid-range jumper by Terrence Shannon Jr. to end the game.

Mac McClung led Texas Tech with a season-high 21 points, his third 20-point performance in eight games this season.

Ninth-ranked Creighton was a 94-76 winner at St. John's as Marcus Zegarowski shot 6-for-7 from 3-point range while scoring a game-high 20 points for the Bluejays. Damien Jefferson came within two assists of a triple-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 boards.

Denzel Mahoney chipped in 16 points and freshman center Ryan Kalkbrenner added 15 off the bench.

Florida postpones 3 home games while Johnson makes progress

UNDATED (AP) — Florida has postponed its next three men's basketball games while forward Keyontae Johnson continues to show what athletic director Scott Stricklin calls "truly encouraging signs of progress." 

Johnson collapsed on the court during a game at Florida State last Saturday and remains hospitalized while undergoing further tests and evaluation. He is alert, moving, talking and even chatting with friends and teammates via FaceTime. 

The Gators had been scheduled to host Florida Atlantic on Saturday, Florida A&amp;M on Sunday and James Madison on Tuesday. They will try to make up all three games later this season.

— No. 1 Gonzaga has gotten back on the court to practice following a two-week break due to COVID-19 cases within the program. Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said Thursday that players showed signs of fatigue and that the initial practice this week looked like the first one of the school year. The Bulldogs haven't played since Dec. 2, when they beat West Virginia in Indianapolis. They're scheduled to return Saturday against No. 3 Iowa in a game scheduled in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. 

— Second-ranked Baylor has resumed team activities after a five-day pause because of COVID-19 issues. The Bears will play their first Big 12 game Saturday at Kansas State after their scheduled conference opener at home last Sunday against No. 11 Texas was postponed because of the pause.

— The Butler men's basketball team has replaced Monday night's postponed game with a new opponent, Southern Illinois. DePaul was initially scheduled to play at Hinkle Fieldhouse that night, but COVID-19 issues forced the Blue Demons to call it off. Butler faces Indiana on Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, its second game since resuming team activities. 

— Virginia has added a men's basketball game against top-ranked Gonzaga as the 17th-ranked Cavaliers prepare to restart their program after a 10-day shutdown because of COVID-19 issues. Virginia will play the Bulldogs on Dec. 26 in Fort Worth, Texas. The Cavaliers had four games canceled or postponed because of the pandemic, including Saturday's scheduled matchup with No. 7 Villanova at Madison Square Garden. 

Coaches' challenge stays in NBA, game-night rosters go to 15

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA's board of governors has voted to keep the video challenge as an option for coaches going forward. It was introduced last year on a one-year trial. 

Of the 700 coaches challenges last season, 44% were overturned. 

The board also approved a plan to give teams the ability to expand their active roster on game nights from 13 to 15 for this season.

The expanded rosters is in response to the coronavirus pandemic and in anticipation of the likelihood that teams will be missing players from time to time.

Michigan State-Maryland canceled again by COVID-19

UNDATED (AP) — Saturday night's Big Ten football game between Maryland and Michigan State has been canceled after a second outbreak of COVID-19 in College Park. 

Maryland said 15 football players tested positive for COVID-19 from Dec. 10-16, and antigen tests conducted on Thursday morning resulted in three more presumptive positives. There were six positive cases among staff over that same time period. 

— The Sun Belt Conference championship football game Saturday between ninth-ranked Coastal Carolina and No. 17 Louisiana-Lafayette has been canceled because of a positive COVID-19 test within the Coastal Carolina program. An entire position group would have been unavailable to play because of contact tracing. Both schools were in line for a New Year's Six bowl spot with a win.

— UCLA says it will decline all potential bowl invitations in a decision that was largely made by the players and supported by the administration. The Bruins are 3-3 heading into their season finale Saturday against Stanford. UCLA and Oregon State are the only Pac-12 programs who have played all six weekends.

Lundqvist to miss season with heart condition

UNDATED (AP) — Washington Capitals goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has announced that he will sit out the upcoming season due to a heart condition.

The man known as "King Henrik" said he has been undergoing various tests on his heart "for several weeks."

The 38-year-old Lundqvist joined the Capitals about two months ago after 15 years with the Rangers. He accepted a one-year, $1.5 million package from Washington following his buyout by New York.

Lundqvist has put up Hall of Fame numbers since entering the league in 2005, going 459-310-96 with 64 shutouts, a 2.43 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage.

— Ontario's minister of sport says the provincial government is examining how a Canadian division in the NHL might work. There has been talk of a possible realignment for the upcoming season because of the pandemic. One option could feature a seven-team all-Canadian division with no cross-border travel. The league has targeted mid-January as a potential start date.

— The Chicago Blackhawks are going to remain the Blackhawks and there is no sign of a change coming anytime soon. Speaking publicly for the first time since baseball's Cleveland Indians announced they plan to change their name, Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz says the team continues "to deepen our commitment to upholding our namesake and our brand." The Blackhawks have said they plan to continue with their name because it honors Black Hawk, a Native American leader from Illinois' Sac &amp; Fox Nation.

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Lexi Thompson shot a 7-under 65 to take the first-round lead in the LPGA Tour's CME Group Tour Championship.

Thompson birdied five of the first seven holes and closed with a pair of birdies. The 11-time LPGA Tour had her lowest score of the year a week after missing the cut in Houston in the U.S. Women's Open.

Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark was a stroke back after a bogey-free round. Defending champion Sei Young Kim was at 67 with Caroline Masson and Megan Khang.

Democratic lawmakers introducing NCAA reform bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill introduced Thursday by four Democratic lawmakers would grant college athletes sweeping rights to compensation and create a federal commission on college athletics. 

The College Athletes Bill of Rights is sponsored by U.S. Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Kirsten Gillibrand (KEER'-sten JIHL'-uh-brand) of New York, and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (shuh-KOW'-skee) of Illinois. If passed it could wreak havoc with the NCAA's ability to govern intercollegiate athletics and the association's model for amateurism. 

The move comes a day after the Supreme Court agreed to review a court ruling in an antitrust case against the NCAA having to do with compensating athletes.

Russia banned from using its name, flag at next 2 Olympics

GENEVA (AP) — Russia has been banned from using its name, flag and anthem at the next two Olympics or at any world championships for the next two years because of state-backed doping. A ruling Thursday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport also blocks Russia from bidding to host major sporting events for two years. 

The punishments are less than the four-year ban the World Anti-Doping Agency had proposed. 

Russian sports officials were in an upbeat mood after finding crucial loopholes in the decision. It left Russia in full control of its roster and scrapped a plan to exclude athletes suspected of benefiting from past doping cover-ups.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Ochai Agbaji made the go-ahead layup with 13 seconds left and finished with 23 points as No. 5 Kansas beat No. 14 Texas Tech 58-57. The win was the 30th in a row for the Jayhawks in a conference opener. Agbaji made four 3-pointers but got the game-winning points for the 7-1 Jayhawks when he worked inside and took an inbound pass from Marcus Garrett. Texas Tech had one more chance, but Terrence Shannon's mid-range jumper was blocked by Jalen Wilson to end the game. Shannon had 20 points with four 3s for the 6-2 Red Raiders, while Mac McClung had 21 points.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — With six 100-yard receiving games already, the Chiefs' Travis Kelce is poised to become the first tight end in NFL history to lead the league in receiving. He has 1,250 yards with three games still to play, giving him a 70-yard lead over Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf and another 13 yards over the Buffalo Bills' Stefon Diggs — oh, and teammate Tyreek Hill is at 1,158 yards. Kelce is having just as special of a year off the field, too. He was recently made the Chiefs nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his work with children from impoverished backgrounds.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is finally getting his first chance to play in a city where he very well might have ended up starting his NFL career if Kansas City hadn't traded up to get him. Saints coach Sean Payton has said Mahomes and Marshon Lattimore were the top two prospects under consideration with the 11th overall pick in 2017 when the Chiefs traded for the 10th overall pick and took the QB that led them to last season's Super Bowl triumph. Lattimore says it worked out well for both teams and that he is excited to play against Mahomes.NEW YORK (AP) — Marcus Zegarowski scored 20 points, shooting 6 for 7 from 3-point range, and No. 9 Creighton cruised to a 94-76 victory over St. John's. Denzel Mahoney had 16 points and freshman center Ryan Kalkbrenner added a season-best 15 off the bench to help the Bluejays bounce back from a home loss to Marquette in their conference opener Monday night. Damien Jefferson had 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Christian Bishop added 11 points and 10 rebounds for Creighton. Julian Champagnie led the Red Storm with 17 points as St. John's fell to 0-3 in Big East play.&nbsp;ST. LOUIS (AP) — Javonte Perkins scored 20 points, Jordan Goodwin had 16 points and a season-high 15 rebounds and Saint Louis beat North Carolina State 80-69. &nbsp;Saint Louis (6-0) has won 11 consecutive games dating to last season. Manny Bates scored 20 points, including three second-half dunks, and a career-high eight blocks to lead N.C. State (3-1). The Wolfpack played their first game in two weeks after having games with Connecticut, Michigan and Florida Atlantic canceled, and Louisville postponed. Perkins had nine points as part of 22-11 closing run, and his jumper stretched the Billikens' lead to 77-65 with 1:31 to play.&nbsp;IRVING, Texas (AP) — Iowa State has swept the Big 12's top individual football awards as determined by a vote of the league coaches. Running back Breece Hall has been named the conference's offensive player of the year and junior linebacker Mike Rose the top defensive player. Iowa State's Matt Campbell was named the league's coach of the year in the All-Big 12 selections. The Cyclones play five-time defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma in conference championship game Saturday.&nbsp;ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — No. 8 Iowa State will have to beat No. 12 Oklahoma again to win the Big 12 title. The first conference championship game in school history for the 8-2 Cyclones is a rematch against the 7-2 Sooners. Oklahoma is going for its sixth Big 12 title in a row on Saturday. The Sooners have won six games in a row since their 37-30 loss to the Cyclones on October 3. Iowa State has a five-game winning streak since its only Big 12 loss to Oklahoma State. &nbsp;LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Dalano Banton had a triple-double to lead Nebraska to a 110-64 victory over NAIA-member Doane. Banton had 13 points, 11 rebounds, and matched a career-best with 10 assists. He also blocked three shots, and has reached double figure scoring in each game this season. Teddy Allen, who entered sixth in the Big Ten in scoring, had 11 of his 16 points in the first half for Nebraska (4-3). &nbsp;Yvan Ouedraogo had career highs with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Trevor Lakes chipped in 12 points, on four 3-pointers, in his Nebraska debut. Joe Burt and Trey Winkler scored 11 points apiece for Doane.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NFL-CHARGERS/RAIDERSHerbert rallies Chargers past RaidersLAS VEGAS (AP) — A long pass and a quarterback sneak may have ended the Las Vegas Raiders' playoff bid.Justin Herbert plunged into the end zone in overtime to give the Chargers a 30-27 victory over the Raiders.Las Vegas kicked a field goal without about 3 ½ minutes showing on the clock in OT before Herbert set up the winning score with a 53-yard throw to Jalen Guyton.Herbert was 22 of 32 for 314 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions to help Los Angeles end a 10-game losing streak against AFC West opponents.Raiders backup Marcus Mariota (mar-ee-OH'-tah) accounted for 314 yards and two touchdowns after Derek Carr left in the first quarter with a groin injury. Mariota passed for 226 yards and a TD and ran nine times for 88 yards.The loss leaves the Raiders 7-7 and damages their postseason hopes.The Chargers are 5-9.NFL-NEWSGiants coordinator Jason Garrett tests positiveUNDATED (AP) — New York Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns. Tight end coach Freddie Kitchens will call the plays against the team he coached last year. The Giants also announced that cornerback James Bradberry has been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list after being in close contact with an individual outside the organization who has tested positive. Bradberry won't be available against Cleveland.In other NFL news: — Washington has put safety Deshazor Everett on injured reserve with a pectoral muscle injury that also affected his shoulder. In another move, Washington signed running back Lamar Miller off of the Chicago Bears' practice squad. — Former Ravens running back Lorenzo Taliaferro has died at the age of 28. No cause was given. Taliaferro ran for 339 yards and scored five touchdowns during three injury-riddled seasons with Baltimore before being cut in 2017. — Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry called Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters "a coward" for appearing to spit at him during Monday night's game. A video taken from the national TV broadcast at the end of the first quarter appears to show Peters spitting in Landry's direction. Landry has his back turned and is walking away toward Cleveland's huddle when Peters spits. TOP 25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULEJayhawks, Bluejays get road winsUNDATED (AP) — Kansas won a top-25 matchup on Thursday, while Creighton bounced back from Monday's home loss to Marquette.Ochai Agbaji (OH'-chy ahg-BAH'-jee) provided the go-ahead layup with 13 seconds left and finished with 23 points as the fifth-ranked Jayhawks downed No. 14 Texas Tech, 58-57. Agbaji made four 3-pointers and Jalen Wilson clinched the Jayhawks' seventh straight win by blocking a mid-range jumper by Terrence Shannon Jr. to end the game.Mac McClung led Texas Tech with a season-high 21 points, his third 20-point performance in eight games this season.Ninth-ranked Creighton was a 94-76 winner at St. John's as Marcus Zegarowski shot 6-for-7 from 3-point range while scoring a game-high 20 points for the Bluejays. Damien Jefferson came within two assists of a triple-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 boards.Denzel Mahoney chipped in 16 points and freshman center Ryan Kalkbrenner added 15 off the bench.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NEWSFlorida postpones 3 home games while Johnson makes progressUNDATED (AP) — Florida has postponed its next three men's basketball games while forward Keyontae Johnson continues to show what athletic director Scott Stricklin calls "truly encouraging signs of progress." Johnson collapsed on the court during a game at Florida State last Saturday and remains hospitalized while undergoing further tests and evaluation. He is alert, moving, talking and even chatting with friends and teammates via FaceTime. The Gators had been scheduled to host Florida Atlantic on Saturday, Florida A&amp;M on Sunday and James Madison on Tuesday. They will try to make up all three games later this season.In other men's college basketball news: — No. 1 Gonzaga has gotten back on the court to practice following a two-week break due to COVID-19 cases within the program. Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said Thursday that players showed signs of fatigue and that the initial practice this week looked like the first one of the school year. The Bulldogs haven't played since Dec. 2, when they beat West Virginia in Indianapolis. They're scheduled to return Saturday against No. 3 Iowa in a game scheduled in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. — Second-ranked Baylor has resumed team activities after a five-day pause because of COVID-19 issues. The Bears will play their first Big 12 game Saturday at Kansas State after their scheduled conference opener at home last Sunday against No. 11 Texas was postponed because of the pause.— The Butler men's basketball team has replaced Monday night's postponed game with a new opponent, Southern Illinois. DePaul was initially scheduled to play at Hinkle Fieldhouse that night, but COVID-19 issues forced the Blue Demons to call it off. Butler faces Indiana on Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, its second game since resuming team activities. — Virginia has added a men's basketball game against top-ranked Gonzaga as the 17th-ranked Cavaliers prepare to restart their program after a 10-day shutdown because of COVID-19 issues. Virginia will play the Bulldogs on Dec. 26 in Fort Worth, Texas. The Cavaliers had four games canceled or postponed because of the pandemic, including Saturday's scheduled matchup with No. 7 Villanova at Madison Square Garden. NBA-NEWSCoaches' challenge stays in NBA, game-night rosters go to 15NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA's board of governors has voted to keep the video challenge as an option for coaches going forward. It was introduced last year on a one-year trial. Of the 700 coaches challenges last season, 44% were overturned. The board also approved a plan to give teams the ability to expand their active roster on game nights from 13 to 15 for this season.The expanded rosters is in response to the coronavirus pandemic and in anticipation of the likelihood that teams will be missing players from time to time.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NEWSMichigan State-Maryland canceled again by COVID-19UNDATED (AP) — Saturday night's Big Ten football game between Maryland and Michigan State has been canceled after a second outbreak of COVID-19 in College Park. Maryland said 15 football players tested positive for COVID-19 from Dec. 10-16, and antigen tests conducted on Thursday morning resulted in three more presumptive positives. There were six positive cases among staff over that same time period. In other college football news: — The Sun Belt Conference championship football game Saturday between ninth-ranked Coastal Carolina and No. 17 Louisiana-Lafayette has been canceled because of a positive COVID-19 test within the Coastal Carolina program. An entire position group would have been unavailable to play because of contact tracing. Both schools were in line for a New Year's Six bowl spot with a win.— UCLA says it will decline all potential bowl invitations in a decision that was largely made by the players and supported by the administration. The Bruins are 3-3 heading into their season finale Saturday against Stanford. UCLA and Oregon State are the only Pac-12 programs who have played all six weekends.NHL-NEWSLundqvist to miss season with heart conditionUNDATED (AP) — Washington Capitals goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has announced that he will sit out the upcoming season due to a heart condition.The man known as "King Henrik" said he has been undergoing various tests on his heart "for several weeks."The 38-year-old Lundqvist joined the Capitals about two months ago after 15 years with the Rangers. He accepted a one-year, $1.5 million package from Washington following his buyout by New York.Lundqvist has put up Hall of Fame numbers since entering the league in 2005, going 459-310-96 with 64 shutouts, a 2.43 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage.In other NHL news:— Ontario's minister of sport says the provincial government is examining how a Canadian division in the NHL might work. There has been talk of a possible realignment for the upcoming season because of the pandemic. One option could feature a seven-team all-Canadian division with no cross-border travel. The league has targeted mid-January as a potential start date.— The Chicago Blackhawks are going to remain the Blackhawks and there is no sign of a change coming anytime soon. Speaking publicly for the first time since baseball's Cleveland Indians announced they plan to change their name, Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz says the team continues "to deepen our commitment to upholding our namesake and our brand." The Blackhawks have said they plan to continue with their name because it honors Black Hawk, a Native American leader from Illinois' Sac &amp; Fox Nation.LPGA-CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPThompson leads LPGA eventNAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Lexi Thompson shot a 7-under 65 to take the first-round lead in the LPGA Tour's CME Group Tour Championship.Thompson birdied five of the first seven holes and closed with a pair of birdies. The 11-time LPGA Tour had her lowest score of the year a week after missing the cut in Houston in the U.S. Women's Open.Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark was a stroke back after a bogey-free round. Defending champion Sei Young Kim was at 67 with Caroline Masson and Megan Khang.NCAA-COMPENSATING ATHLETESDemocratic lawmakers introducing NCAA reform billWASHINGTON (AP) — A bill introduced Thursday by four Democratic lawmakers would grant college athletes sweeping rights to compensation and create a federal commission on college athletics. The College Athletes Bill of Rights is sponsored by U.S. Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Kirsten Gillibrand (KEER'-sten JIHL'-uh-brand) of New York, and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (shuh-KOW'-skee) of Illinois. If passed it could wreak havoc with the NCAA's ability to govern intercollegiate athletics and the association's model for amateurism. The move comes a day after the Supreme Court agreed to review a court ruling in an antitrust case against the NCAA having to do with compensating athletes.OLYMPICS-RUSSIAN DOPINGRussia banned from using its name, flag at next 2 OlympicsGENEVA (AP) — Russia has been banned from using its name, flag and anthem at the next two Olympics or at any world championships for the next two years because of state-backed doping. A ruling Thursday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport also blocks Russia from bidding to host major sporting events for two years. The punishments are less than the four-year ban the World Anti-Doping Agency had proposed. Russian sports officials were in an upbeat mood after finding crucial loopholes in the decision. It left Russia in full control of its roster and scrapped a plan to exclude athletes suspected of benefiting from past doping cover-ups.

Sports Headlines for Friday

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON

		Purdue	at	(7)Indiana	7:30 p.m.	(Canceled)

		Washington	at	(13)Southern Cal	8 p.m.	(Canceled)

		Tennessee Tech	at	(10)Tennessee	7 p.m.	

		Prairie View	at	(16)Missouri	8 p.m.	(Canceled)

AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASONFinal	Charlotte	123	Orlando	115	Final	Detroit	97	Washington	86	Final	Houston	128	San Antonio	106	Final	Memphis	128	Atlanta	106	Final OT	Minnesota	129	Dallas	127	Final	Golden State	113	Sacramento	105	Final	Utah	125	L.A. Clippers	105	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUEFinal OT	L.A. Chargers	30	Las Vegas	27	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(5)Kansas	58	(14)Texas Tech	57	Final	(9)Creighton	94	St. John's	76	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON		Philadelphia	at	Indiana	6 p.m.			Miami	at	Toronto	7 p.m.			Cleveland	at	New York	7:30 p.m.			Brooklyn	at	Boston	8 p.m.			Chicago	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	New Orleans	8 p.m.			Portland	at	Denver	9 p.m.			L.A. Lakers	at	Phoenix	10:30 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL		Purdue	at	(7)Indiana	7:30 p.m.	(Canceled)		Oregon	at	(13)Southern Cal	8 p.m.			Washington	at	(13)Southern Cal	8 p.m.	(Canceled)		Ball St.	at	(23)Buffalo	7:30 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		Iowa St.	at	(8)West Virginia	9 p.m.			Tennessee Tech	at	(10)Tennessee	7 p.m.			Prairie View	at	(16)Missouri	8 p.m.	(Canceled)		BYU	at	(18)San Diego St.	5 p.m.	___

Sports Scores from Thursday

Salina South vs. Hutchinson, ppd. to Dec 22nd.

Hutchinson Trinity 52, Conway Springs 40

Kapaun Mount Carmel 50, Wichita Southeast 48

Some high school basketball scores provided by Scorestream.com, https://scorestream.com/

Thursday's ScoresBy The Associated Press<h2>BOYS PREP BASKETBALL=</h2>DeSoto 72, Bonner Springs 55Deerfield 36, Moscow 28Hillsboro 71, Southeast Saline 68, OTLebo 60, Hartford 29Lincoln 82, Emporia 78Maize 65, Maize South 50Metro Academy 63, Veritas Christian 43Pleasant Ridge 62, Atchison County 25Rural Vista 31, Elyria Christian 25Salina Central 47, Andover Central 41Tonganoxie 48, Eudora 43Wichita Northwest 68, Wichita South 51POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=Salina South vs. Hutchinson, ppd. to Dec 22nd.Wichita Heights vs. Wichita North, ppd.<h2>GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL=</h2>Anderson County 61, Osawatomie 60Andover Central 60, Salina Central 52Atchison County 48, Pleasant Ridge 40BV North 66, BV Northwest 53Ellsworth 43, Lyons 11Elyria Christian 36, Rural Vista 31Eudora 40, Tonganoxie 22Eureka 82, Flinthills 23Garden Plain 58, Berean Academy 43Halstead 63, Kingman 27Hillsboro 52, Southeast Saline 42Hutchinson 43, Salina South 30Hutchinson Trinity 52, Conway Springs 40Kapaun Mount Carmel 50, Wichita Southeast 48Lebo 46, Hartford 26Louisburg 60, Coffeyville 20Maize 51, Maize South 31Moundridge 42, Wichita Independent 25Osage City 59, Iola 37Ottawa 42, Santa Fe Trail 33Sterling 74, Wichita Trinity 60Topeka Hayden 54, Junction City 41Wichita Northwest 82, Wichita South 51POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=Bennington vs. Cheney, ppd.Ell-Saline vs. Douglass, ppd.Louisburg vs. KC Piper, ppd.Wichita Heights vs. Wichita North, ppd.___Some high school basketball scores provided by Scorestream.com, https://scorestream.com/

Prep Scores from Thursday

SALINA, Kan. — Better late than never might have been what the Hutchinson Girls were thinking as the Hutch Salthawk Girls turned on the pressure to score 18 of their 43 points in a game that came down to the final period to defeat Salina South 43-40 on Thursday night in Salina

Hutch used a 22-4 burst in the second half to turn a seven-point deficit into a 43-30 road victory at Salina South Thursday night. The Salthawks improved to 2-0 while the Cougars fell to 0-5.

Salina South’s used strong defense and controlled the tempo of the game in the first half and kept the game close as the Salthawks rallied to tie it at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Salina South started to pull away in the second quarter but Hutch closed the gap again to tie it at 15-15 at halftime..

South took advantage of turnovers to open the second half. The Cougars scored points off several Hutchinson miscues to build a 7 point lead midway at 22-15 through the third before Ziya Simms gave the Salthawks the lead at 25-24 going into the 4th and final period.

Hutch was quiet for much of the 3rd period being held scoreless until the 3:15 mark of the 3rd before the Salthawks went on a 22-4 spurt to go ahead by 11 to pull away for the win. Sophomore Mya Thompson had 8 of those 22 alone in the final quarter.

Ziya Simms led Hutch with 14 points. Harlie Wilson added 12.

Kylie Arnold led South with nine points. Hutchinson is of until Haysville-Campus comes to the Salthawk activity center&nbsp; on January 8 of 2021.

SALINA, Kan. — Better late than never might have been what the Hutchinson Girls were thinking as the Hutch Salthawk Girls turned on the pressure to score 18 of their 43 points in a game that came down to the final period to defeat Salina South 43-40 on Thursday night in SalinaHutch used a 22-4 burst in the second half to turn a seven-point deficit into a 43-30 road victory at Salina South Thursday night. The Salthawks improved to 2-0 while the Cougars fell to 0-5.Salina South’s used strong defense and controlled the tempo of the game in the first half and kept the game close as the Salthawks rallied to tie it at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.Salina South started to pull away in the second quarter but Hutch closed the gap again to tie it at 15-15 at halftime..South took advantage of turnovers to open the second half. The Cougars scored points off several Hutchinson miscues to build a 7 point lead midway at 22-15 through the third before Ziya Simms gave the Salthawks the lead at 25-24 going into the 4th and final period.Hutch was quiet for much of the 3rd period being held scoreless until the 3:15 mark of the 3rd before the Salthawks went on a 22-4 spurt to go ahead by 11 to pull away for the win. Sophomore Mya Thompson had 8 of those 22 alone in the final quarter.Ziya Simms led Hutch with 14 points. Harlie Wilson added 12.Kylie Arnold led South with nine points. Hutchinson is of until Haysville-Campus comes to the Salthawk activity center&nbsp; on January 8 of 2021.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fevDVAJ8iAY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

🏀 Hutch Girls finish strong in 43-30 win over Salina South

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Justin Herbert’s brilliant rookie season is now a record-setting campaign.

Herbert scored on 1-yard plunge to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 30-27 overtime victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night.

“It was pretty crazy,” said Herbert, who set an NFL rookie record with his seventh 300-yard game and has 27 passing scores on the year, tying Baker Mayfield (2018) for the most by a rookie in NFL history. “I kind of waited to see the replay and guys didn’t really know what had happened. So I got up and started shaking hands and kind of saw the game was over.

The Chargers (5-9) snapped a nine-game losing streak against their AFC West counterparts, and snapped a three-game skid against the Raiders. Las Vegas (7-7) lost quarterback Derek Carr to a left groin injury in the first quarter. It has lost four of five, all but killing its playoff chances.

Moments after Daniel Carlson’s 23-yard field goal on the Raiders’ first possession put Las Vegas ahead 27-24, Herbert found wideout Jalen Guyton streaking by cornerback Keisean Nixon for a 53-yard reception to set up the winning score.

Los Angeles improved to 1-2 in overtime games, while all four of its games against division foes have come down to the final play.

Herbert, who targeted nine receivers and completed at least one pass with seven, was 22 for 32 with 314 yards and two touchdowns.

“I’ve seen a lot of growth over the past couple weeks,” Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said. “He’s doing it with young receivers on the field and spreading the ball around.”

With five receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown, Los Angeles’ Hunter Henry now has a career-high 60 receptions on the year, third-highest among tight ends this season.

The Chargers got revenge from the first meeting on Nov. 8, when Herbert’s apparent TD pass to Donald Parham was overturned by replay to end the game.

For the Raiders, the storyline quickly changed from must-win to stay alive in the playoff hunt, to how to win with backup Marcus Mariota seeing his first action as a Raider, while setting up a showdown of former University of Oregon quarterbacks.

“It was a pretty crazy experience,” Herbert said. “I grew up watching Marcus. He was my favorite player. To see him on the field and play against him was really cool. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”

Just four days after firing defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, plus missing four starters on defense, and having their offensive coordinator Greg Olson sidelined after testing positive for COVID-19, the Raiders lost Carr when he came up lame on a third-down scramble near the goal line in the first quarter. Carr immediately went to the locker room and did not return.

Mariota was poised in his return from the first snap.

In his first drive, he was 3 for 3 for 70 yards and a perfectly placed over-the-top pass to Darren Waller. Mariota also scrambled for 11 yards for a first down.

“When it comes down to it, I think it’s part of your job to be prepared,” Mariota said. “Just try to give these guys a chance to win and unfortunately we came up a little short.”

The sixth-year pro finished 17 of 28 for 226 yards with one TD and one interception. He also rushed for 88 yards on nine carries, including a touchdown.

“It just shows the kind of player and football character he has,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said of Mariota. “You lose Derek, and we change gears offensively. Marcus came in and did a great job. I’m really proud of him. That just puts an exclamation point on why we signed him. Just wish we could have won the game for him.”

Los Angeles placekicker Michael Badgley missed two field goals near the end of the game — one from 47 yards and one from 51 — while the Raiders blew their chance when Mariota made his first bad decision of the game with an ill-advised pass that went off the hands of Zay Jones and into the hands Chris Harris Jr., who returned it 51 yards to give Badgley his second opportunity.

Las Vegas lined up for a 65-yard, game-winning field goal at the end of regulation, but a bad snap was bobbled by AJ Cole, preventing Carlson from making an attempt.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Justin Herbert’s brilliant rookie season is now a record-setting campaign.Herbert scored on 1-yard plunge to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 30-27 overtime victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night.“It was pretty crazy,” said Herbert, who set an NFL rookie record with his seventh 300-yard game and has 27 passing scores on the year, tying Baker Mayfield (2018) for the most by a rookie in NFL history. “I kind of waited to see the replay and guys didn’t really know what had happened. So I got up and started shaking hands and kind of saw the game was over.The Chargers (5-9) snapped a nine-game losing streak against their AFC West counterparts, and snapped a three-game skid against the Raiders. Las Vegas (7-7) lost quarterback Derek Carr to a left groin injury in the first quarter. It has lost four of five, all but killing its playoff chances.Moments after Daniel Carlson’s 23-yard field goal on the Raiders’ first possession put Las Vegas ahead 27-24, Herbert found wideout Jalen Guyton streaking by cornerback Keisean Nixon for a 53-yard reception to set up the winning score.Los Angeles improved to 1-2 in overtime games, while all four of its games against division foes have come down to the final play.Herbert, who targeted nine receivers and completed at least one pass with seven, was 22 for 32 with 314 yards and two touchdowns.“I’ve seen a lot of growth over the past couple weeks,” Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said. “He’s doing it with young receivers on the field and spreading the ball around.”With five receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown, Los Angeles’ Hunter Henry now has a career-high 60 receptions on the year, third-highest among tight ends this season.The Chargers got revenge from the first meeting on Nov. 8, when Herbert’s apparent TD pass to Donald Parham was overturned by replay to end the game.For the Raiders, the storyline quickly changed from must-win to stay alive in the playoff hunt, to how to win with backup Marcus Mariota seeing his first action as a Raider, while setting up a showdown of former University of Oregon quarterbacks.“It was a pretty crazy experience,” Herbert said. “I grew up watching Marcus. He was my favorite player. To see him on the field and play against him was really cool. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”Just four days after firing defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, plus missing four starters on defense, and having their offensive coordinator Greg Olson sidelined after testing positive for COVID-19, the Raiders lost Carr when he came up lame on a third-down scramble near the goal line in the first quarter. Carr immediately went to the locker room and did not return.Mariota was poised in his return from the first snap.In his first drive, he was 3 for 3 for 70 yards and a perfectly placed over-the-top pass to Darren Waller. Mariota also scrambled for 11 yards for a first down.“When it comes down to it, I think it’s part of your job to be prepared,” Mariota said. “Just try to give these guys a chance to win and unfortunately we came up a little short.”The sixth-year pro finished 17 of 28 for 226 yards with one TD and one interception. He also rushed for 88 yards on nine carries, including a touchdown.“It just shows the kind of player and football character he has,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said of Mariota. “You lose Derek, and we change gears offensively. Marcus came in and did a great job. I’m really proud of him. That just puts an exclamation point on why we signed him. Just wish we could have won the game for him.”Los Angeles placekicker Michael Badgley missed two field goals near the end of the game — one from 47 yards and one from 51 — while the Raiders blew their chance when Mariota made his first bad decision of the game with an ill-advised pass that went off the hands of Zay Jones and into the hands Chris Harris Jr., who returned it 51 yards to give Badgley his second opportunity.Las Vegas lined up for a 65-yard, game-winning field goal at the end of regulation, but a bad snap was bobbled by AJ Cole, preventing Carlson from making an attempt.

🏈 Raiders lose QB Carr, fall in overtime to Chargers, Herbert

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;No. 5 Kansas took down No. 14 Texas Tech, 58-57, behind a game-winning layup and team-high 23 points from junior Ochai Abaji in the Big 12 Conference opener inside United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas on Thursday.

In a game that came down to the final minute, Agbaji received an inbound pass from Marcus Garrett and made a layup to put Kansas ahead, 58-57, with just 13 seconds remaining. On the ensuing Texas Tech possession, Kansas’ Jalen Wilson blocked Texas Tech’s Terrence Shannon’s shot with three seconds left and secured the rebound to give Kansas the victory.

The Big 12 opener showed a tightly-contested game throughout, where Kansas shot 40% (19-of-47) from the field and 33% (6-of-18) from beyond the arc. Agbaji led all scorers with 23 points and was joined in double-figures by Garrett (10), while Garrett and Christian Braun each secured 10 rebounds.

Defensively, Kansas held Texas Tech to 32% (22-of-62) from the field, while the Jayhawks out-rebounded the Red Raiders, 40-35. The Red Raiders were led by Mac McClung’s 21 points and Shannon’s 20 points.

With the win, Kansas improved to 30-consecutive wins in conference openers, dating back to the 1991-92 season, with 12 of those wins coming at home and 18 coming on the road. The last time KU lost a league opener was at Oklahoma, 88-82, on January 8, 1991.

The Jayhawks also expand their series lead over the Red Raiders, 38-6, while improving to 3-1 against ranked opponents this season, with their three wins against AP Top-25 opponents being the most in the country.

Thursday’s Big 12 opener marked the earliest conference game for KU since December 13, 1986, when KU took on Colorado as members of the Big Eight Conference.

30 –&nbsp;The Jayhawks improved to 30-consecutive wins in conference openers, dating back to the 1991-92 season, with 12 of those wins coming at home and 18 coming on the road. The last time KU lost a league opener was at Oklahoma, 88-82, on January 8, 1991.

With the game on the line, trailing 57-56 with 13 seconds remaining, the Jayhawks scored on a layup under the basket from Ochai Agbaji, that was assisted on the inbound from Marcus Garrett, to give KU the 58-57 lead.

On the ensuing Texas Tech possession, Texas Tech’s Terrence Shannon attempted a shot with 3 seconds remaining that was blocked by Jalen Wilson to secure the KU victory.

Kansas will return home to Allen Fieldhouse for its Big 12 home-opener against West Virginia on Tuesday, December 22. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m., CT on ESPN2.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;No. 5 Kansas took down No. 14 Texas Tech, 58-57, behind a game-winning layup and team-high 23 points from junior Ochai Abaji in the Big 12 Conference opener inside United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas on Thursday.In a game that came down to the final minute, Agbaji received an inbound pass from Marcus Garrett and made a layup to put Kansas ahead, 58-57, with just 13 seconds remaining. On the ensuing Texas Tech possession, Kansas’ Jalen Wilson blocked Texas Tech’s Terrence Shannon’s shot with three seconds left and secured the rebound to give Kansas the victory.The Big 12 opener showed a tightly-contested game throughout, where Kansas shot 40% (19-of-47) from the field and 33% (6-of-18) from beyond the arc. Agbaji led all scorers with 23 points and was joined in double-figures by Garrett (10), while Garrett and Christian Braun each secured 10 rebounds.Defensively, Kansas held Texas Tech to 32% (22-of-62) from the field, while the Jayhawks out-rebounded the Red Raiders, 40-35. The Red Raiders were led by Mac McClung’s 21 points and Shannon’s 20 points.With the win, Kansas improved to 30-consecutive wins in conference openers, dating back to the 1991-92 season, with 12 of those wins coming at home and 18 coming on the road. The last time KU lost a league opener was at Oklahoma, 88-82, on January 8, 1991.The Jayhawks also expand their series lead over the Red Raiders, 38-6, while improving to 3-1 against ranked opponents this season, with their three wins against AP Top-25 opponents being the most in the country.Thursday’s Big 12 opener marked the earliest conference game for KU since December 13, 1986, when KU took on Colorado as members of the Big Eight Conference.STAT OF THE GAME30 –&nbsp;The Jayhawks improved to 30-consecutive wins in conference openers, dating back to the 1991-92 season, with 12 of those wins coming at home and 18 coming on the road. The last time KU lost a league opener was at Oklahoma, 88-82, on January 8, 1991.MOMENT OF THE GAMEWith the game on the line, trailing 57-56 with 13 seconds remaining, the Jayhawks scored on a layup under the basket from Ochai Agbaji, that was assisted on the inbound from Marcus Garrett, to give KU the 58-57 lead.On the ensuing Texas Tech possession, Texas Tech’s Terrence Shannon attempted a shot with 3 seconds remaining that was blocked by Jalen Wilson to secure the KU victory.NOTES<ul>
 <li>Made Kansas 7-1 for the second-straight consecutive season and 7-1 or better for the seventh consecutive season beginning in 2014-15.</li><li>Gave Kansas its third-straight win against Texas Tech, making the series 38-6 in favor of KU.</li><li>Ochai Agbaji scored in the double figures for the 7th time this season and 29 times for his career, with a season high 23 points, second straight game with 4 three pointers (third this season).</li><li>Marcus Garrett scored 10 points and had a season high 10 rebounds, for his third double-double in his career, first since his freshman year.</li><li>Christian Braun earned his second game with double figure rebounds this season with 10 rebounds.</li>
 </ul>UP NEXTKansas will return home to Allen Fieldhouse for its Big 12 home-opener against West Virginia on Tuesday, December 22. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m., CT on ESPN2.

🏀 No. 5 Kansas tops Texas Tech in final seconds, 58-57

MANHATTAN, Kan.— Led by Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7565">Deuce Vaughn</a>&nbsp;and First Team All-Big 12 performers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7300">Phillip Brooks</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7333">Wyatt Hubert</a>, a total of 10 Kansas State football players picked up postseason honors as the Big 12 announced the coaches' All-Big 12 selections on Thursday. Vaughn is the second Wildcat to earn the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year award – joining Tyler Lockett (2011) – and the Round Rock, Texas native was also named a Second Team All-Big 12 running back, the first Wildcat true freshman in the Big 12 era to earn first- or second-team honors on offense from the league's coaches. Brooks was the First Team All-Big 12 kick and punt returner, the 14th&nbsp;time in the 25-year existence of the Big 12 – and the seventh time in the last eight years – that a Wildcat was a First Team All-Big 12 returner. Hubert was one of three players in the Big 12 to be a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 First Team, joining Iowa State running back Breece Hall and Texas offensive lineman Samuel Cosmi. Joining Vaughn on the second team were tight end&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7559">Briley Moore</a>&nbsp;and offensive lineman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7337">Noah Johnson</a>. Place kicker&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7348">Blake Lynch</a>, defensive back&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7351">Jahron McPherson</a>, linebacker&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7369">Elijah Sullivan</a>&nbsp;and defensive tackle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7377">Drew Wiley</a>&nbsp;each picked up Honorable Mention All-Big 12 accolades. In addition to their placing on various teams, Hubert also earned votes for the Big 12 Defensive Player and Lineman of the Year awards, Johnson for the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year award and Moore for the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year Award. Senior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7352">Brock Monty</a>&nbsp;earned votes for the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year award. Vaughn is one of only two players in the nation to top 600 rushing yards and 400 receiving yards so far in 2020, joining Clemson senior running back Travis Etienne, and is the only player in the Big 12 to lead his team in both rushing and receiving yards. He ranks fourth in the Big 12 in rushing (64.2 yards per game) and 10th&nbsp;in scoring (5.4 points per game) and is the top freshman in both categories. He also ranks fifth in the nation among freshmen, third in the Big 12 overall and tops among freshmen in the league in all-purpose yards per game (112.1). In the final regular season game against Texas, Vaughn broke the K-State freshman records for rushing yards (642), all-purpose yards (1,221), yards from scrimmage (1,076) and total touchdowns (9), needing only 10 games to do so. Brooks totaled 411 return yards this season, including 261 punt-return yards and a pair of touchdowns. His 23.7-yard average on punt returns is tops in school history and would lead the nation if he had the required minimum amount of returns. A native of Lee's Summit, Missouri, Brooks set the school record with 189 punt-return yards against Kansas and took two punts back for touchdowns, the most by a Big 12 player in a conference game in league history. Additionally, his 47.25-yard average against KU was the highest by any player in the nation with at least four attempts since at least 1996. Hubert, a product of Topeka, Kansas, earned his second-straight First Team All-Big 12 honor as his 8.5 sacks tied for the Big 12 lead and ranked 25th&nbsp;nationally during the regular season. He also tied for third with 13.0 tackles for loss. His season totals were given a boost when he tallied a career-high 2.5 sacks against Oklahoma State, the most by a Wildcat in a conference game since 2013. The junior ranks first nationally among non-seniors with 20.0 career sacks, while he is fourth overall among active players with 0.59 career sacks. Coaches' All-Big 12 Teams (Kansas State) Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7565">Deuce Vaughn</a>&nbsp;(RB). First Team:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7300">Phillip Brooks</a>&nbsp;(KR/PR),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7333">Wyatt Hubert</a>&nbsp;(DL). Second Team:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7565">Deuce Vaughn</a>&nbsp;(RB),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7559">Briley Moore</a>&nbsp;(FB),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7337">Noah Johnson</a>&nbsp;(OL). Honorable Mention:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7333">Wyatt Hubert</a>&nbsp;(Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7348">Blake Lynch</a>&nbsp;(PK),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7351">Jahron McPherson</a>&nbsp;(DB),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7352">Brock Monty</a>&nbsp;(Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7559">Briley Moore</a>&nbsp;(Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7337">Noah Johnson</a>&nbsp;(Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7369">Elijah Sullivan</a>&nbsp;(LB),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7377">Drew Wiley</a>&nbsp;(DL).&nbsp;&nbsp;

MANHATTAN, Kan.— Led by Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7565">Deuce Vaughn</a>&nbsp;and First Team All-Big 12 performers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7300">Phillip Brooks</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7333">Wyatt Hubert</a>, a total of 10 Kansas State football players picked up postseason honors as the Big 12 announced the coaches' All-Big 12 selections on Thursday. Vaughn is the second Wildcat to earn the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year award – joining Tyler Lockett (2011) – and the Round Rock, Texas native was also named a Second Team All-Big 12 running back, the first Wildcat true freshman in the Big 12 era to earn first- or second-team honors on offense from the league's coaches. Brooks was the First Team All-Big 12 kick and punt returner, the 14th&nbsp;time in the 25-year existence of the Big 12 – and the seventh time in the last eight years – that a Wildcat was a First Team All-Big 12 returner. Hubert was one of three players in the Big 12 to be a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 First Team, joining Iowa State running back Breece Hall and Texas offensive lineman Samuel Cosmi. Joining Vaughn on the second team were tight end&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7559">Briley Moore</a>&nbsp;and offensive lineman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7337">Noah Johnson</a>. Place kicker&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7348">Blake Lynch</a>, defensive back&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7351">Jahron McPherson</a>, linebacker&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7369">Elijah Sullivan</a>&nbsp;and defensive tackle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7377">Drew Wiley</a>&nbsp;each picked up Honorable Mention All-Big 12 accolades. In addition to their placing on various teams, Hubert also earned votes for the Big 12 Defensive Player and Lineman of the Year awards, Johnson for the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year award and Moore for the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year Award. Senior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7352">Brock Monty</a>&nbsp;earned votes for the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year award. Vaughn is one of only two players in the nation to top 600 rushing yards and 400 receiving yards so far in 2020, joining Clemson senior running back Travis Etienne, and is the only player in the Big 12 to lead his team in both rushing and receiving yards. He ranks fourth in the Big 12 in rushing (64.2 yards per game) and 10th&nbsp;in scoring (5.4 points per game) and is the top freshman in both categories. He also ranks fifth in the nation among freshmen, third in the Big 12 overall and tops among freshmen in the league in all-purpose yards per game (112.1). In the final regular season game against Texas, Vaughn broke the K-State freshman records for rushing yards (642), all-purpose yards (1,221), yards from scrimmage (1,076) and total touchdowns (9), needing only 10 games to do so. Brooks totaled 411 return yards this season, including 261 punt-return yards and a pair of touchdowns. His 23.7-yard average on punt returns is tops in school history and would lead the nation if he had the required minimum amount of returns. A native of Lee's Summit, Missouri, Brooks set the school record with 189 punt-return yards against Kansas and took two punts back for touchdowns, the most by a Big 12 player in a conference game in league history. Additionally, his 47.25-yard average against KU was the highest by any player in the nation with at least four attempts since at least 1996. Hubert, a product of Topeka, Kansas, earned his second-straight First Team All-Big 12 honor as his 8.5 sacks tied for the Big 12 lead and ranked 25th&nbsp;nationally during the regular season. He also tied for third with 13.0 tackles for loss. His season totals were given a boost when he tallied a career-high 2.5 sacks against Oklahoma State, the most by a Wildcat in a conference game since 2013. The junior ranks first nationally among non-seniors with 20.0 career sacks, while he is fourth overall among active players with 0.59 career sacks. Coaches' All-Big 12 Teams (Kansas State) Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7565">Deuce Vaughn</a>&nbsp;(RB). First Team:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7300">Phillip Brooks</a>&nbsp;(KR/PR),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7333">Wyatt Hubert</a>&nbsp;(DL). Second Team:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7565">Deuce Vaughn</a>&nbsp;(RB),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7559">Briley Moore</a>&nbsp;(FB),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7337">Noah Johnson</a>&nbsp;(OL). Honorable Mention:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7333">Wyatt Hubert</a>&nbsp;(Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7348">Blake Lynch</a>&nbsp;(PK),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7351">Jahron McPherson</a>&nbsp;(DB),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7352">Brock Monty</a>&nbsp;(Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7559">Briley Moore</a>&nbsp;(Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7337">Noah Johnson</a>&nbsp;(Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7369">Elijah Sullivan</a>&nbsp;(LB),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7377">Drew Wiley</a>&nbsp;(DL).&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 Ten Wildcats earn postseason honors from Big 12 Coaches

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Led by Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year&nbsp;Deuce Vaughn&nbsp;and First Team All-Big 12 performers&nbsp;Phillip Brooks&nbsp;and&nbsp;Wyatt Hubert, a total of 10 Kansas State football players picked up postseason honors as the Big 12 announced the coaches’ All-Big 12 selections on Thursday.

Vaughn is the second Wildcat to earn the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year award – joining Tyler Lockett (2011) – and the Round Rock, Texas native was also named a Second Team All-Big 12 running back, the first Wildcat true freshman in the Big 12 era to earn first- or second-team honors on offense from the league’s coaches.&nbsp; 

Joining Vaughn on the second team were tight end&nbsp;Briley Moore&nbsp;and offensive lineman&nbsp;Noah Johnson. Place kicker&nbsp;Blake Lynch, defensive back&nbsp;Jahron McPherson, linebacker&nbsp;Elijah Sullivan&nbsp;and defensive tackle&nbsp;Drew Wiley&nbsp;each picked up Honorable Mention All-Big 12 accolades.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Vaugh was 2nd in program history to be named top offensive freshman (Tyler Lockett 2011)


He holds 4 K-State freshman records and ranks 5th in the nation in all-purpose yards among all freshmen



MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Led by Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year&nbsp;Deuce Vaughn&nbsp;and First Team All-Big 12 performers&nbsp;Phillip Brooks&nbsp;and&nbsp;Wyatt Hubert, a total of 10 Kansas State football players picked up postseason honors as the Big 12 announced the coaches’ All-Big 12 selections on Thursday.Vaughn is the second Wildcat to earn the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year award – joining Tyler Lockett (2011) – and the Round Rock, Texas native was also named a Second Team All-Big 12 running back, the first Wildcat true freshman in the Big 12 era to earn first- or second-team honors on offense from the league’s coaches.&nbsp; Joining Vaughn on the second team were tight end&nbsp;Briley Moore&nbsp;and offensive lineman&nbsp;Noah Johnson. Place kicker&nbsp;Blake Lynch, defensive back&nbsp;Jahron McPherson, linebacker&nbsp;Elijah Sullivan&nbsp;and defensive tackle&nbsp;Drew Wiley&nbsp;each picked up Honorable Mention All-Big 12 accolades.&nbsp;&nbsp;Vaugh was 2nd in program history to be named top offensive freshman (Tyler Lockett 2011)
He holds 4 K-State freshman records and ranks 5th in the nation in all-purpose yards among all freshmen

🏈 K-States Vaughn named offensive freshman of the year in Big 12

Signing Day Links:&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/run21/" target="_blank">Signing Day Page w/bios and film breakdowns</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/real-list-21.pdf" target="_blank">PDF Roster of the Newcomers</a>&nbsp;| &nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=c5cec8d7-e99f-4180-ad62-278819a54138" target="_blank">Signing Day Live Stream Show</a>&nbsp;| &nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/les-miles-talks-run21-signing-class/" target="_blank">Les Miles Press Conference Video</a>

LAWRENCE, Kan. —&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks introduced their 2021 signing class Wednesday on the first day of the early signing period, celebrating the 18 new members of their family.

Coach Les Miles broke down the 18 players that make up his third recruiting class at Kansas in his press conference Wednesday afternoon.

“Here’s what we did,” Miles said. “We went out to get guys that are winners. Guys that have played and competed and understood what it was like to win to help us change the culture here. We wanted to evaluate every prospect, and not just take someone’s word. We wanted to see who he was, and what he was. We feel very comfortable with the young men that we elected to play here at a very high level.”

The 2021 class featured six players from Texas, five from Georgia, two from Arkansas and one each from Kansas, California, South Carolina, Indiana and Florida. Miles brought in three linebackers, three offensive linemen, two defensive linemen, two wide receivers, three safeties, one quarterback, one tight end and one running back.

This class will join forces with the first two classes Miles has brought into Kansas.

The first two Miles classes have already produced a number of contributors for the Jayhawks. A total of 36 players from Miles’ first two recruiting classes have already appeared in a game, with 23 having already started at least one.

In his first signing class in 2018, Miles signed 18 players, and 16 of them have already played in a game for Kansas. This past season, 21 true scholarship freshmen played in at least one game with 11 true freshmen making at least one start on the season.

Additionally, in just three classes Miles has already signed four of the all-time top 10 ranked recruits in Kansas history, per 247 Sports’ rankings. The 2021 class figures to be a continuation of the talent Miles has collected each of the first two years.

All total, Kansas welcomed in 18 players Wednesday, with the possibility that more could be added during the early signing period.

Signing Day Links:&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/run21/" target="_blank">Signing Day Page w/bios and film breakdowns</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/real-list-21.pdf" target="_blank">PDF Roster of the Newcomers</a>&nbsp;| &nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=c5cec8d7-e99f-4180-ad62-278819a54138" target="_blank">Signing Day Live Stream Show</a>&nbsp;| &nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/les-miles-talks-run21-signing-class/" target="_blank">Les Miles Press Conference Video</a>LAWRENCE, Kan. —&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks introduced their 2021 signing class Wednesday on the first day of the early signing period, celebrating the 18 new members of their family.Coach Les Miles broke down the 18 players that make up his third recruiting class at Kansas in his press conference Wednesday afternoon.“Here’s what we did,” Miles said. “We went out to get guys that are winners. Guys that have played and competed and understood what it was like to win to help us change the culture here. We wanted to evaluate every prospect, and not just take someone’s word. We wanted to see who he was, and what he was. We feel very comfortable with the young men that we elected to play here at a very high level.”The 2021 class featured six players from Texas, five from Georgia, two from Arkansas and one each from Kansas, California, South Carolina, Indiana and Florida. Miles brought in three linebackers, three offensive linemen, two defensive linemen, two wide receivers, three safeties, one quarterback, one tight end and one running back.This class will join forces with the first two classes Miles has brought into Kansas.The first two Miles classes have already produced a number of contributors for the Jayhawks. A total of 36 players from Miles’ first two recruiting classes have already appeared in a game, with 23 having already started at least one.In his first signing class in 2018, Miles signed 18 players, and 16 of them have already played in a game for Kansas. This past season, 21 true scholarship freshmen played in at least one game with 11 true freshmen making at least one start on the season.Additionally, in just three classes Miles has already signed four of the all-time top 10 ranked recruits in Kansas history, per 247 Sports’ rankings. The 2021 class figures to be a continuation of the talent Miles has collected each of the first two years.All total, Kansas welcomed in 18 players Wednesday, with the possibility that more could be added during the early signing period.

🏈 KU Football signees

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/documents/2020/12/16/2021_Early_Signing_Day_Release.pdf" target="_blank">Signing Day Release with Bios</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/2020-21" target="_blank">Signing Day Roster</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=13137&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Press Conference Video</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts" target="_blank">Listen on Wildcats Uncut</a> MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–<a>&nbsp;</a>Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;has announced the signing of 14 high school prospects – including four from the state Kansas – during the early 2021 signing period on Wednesday.

Also included in the Class of 2021 is Lakin, Kansas offensive lineman Hadley Panzer, who signed last February but deferred his enrollment to January 2021. Panzer will join five prospects that signed on Wednesday that are expected to enroll in time for spring practices.

This year’s early class includes eight players on defense and six on offense. The class is comprised of three defensive backs and linebackers, two apiece of offensive linemen and wide receivers, one defensive end, one defensive tackle, one running back and a quarterback.

Featured in the class are four players rated in the top 50 nationally at their respective positions by either Rivals, 247Sports or ESPN. Quarterback&nbsp;Jake Rubley&nbsp;(Highland Ranch, Colorado) was rated the 25th-best overall prospect and No. 3 pocket passer in the nation by ESPN. Offensive lineman&nbsp;Andrew Leingang&nbsp;(LINE-gang; Bismarck, North Dakota) was viewed as the 10th-best center in the nation by 247Sports. Linebacker&nbsp;Gaven Haselhorst&nbsp;(HAY-zel-horst; Hays, Kansas) ranked 22nd among all inside linebackers in the nation by 247Sports, and&nbsp;DaVonte Pritchard&nbsp;(duh-VON-tay; Gardner, Kansas) – who will play linebacker at K-State – was rated the 43rd-best safety in the nation by Rivals. Kansas State will look to add more prospects to the Class of 2021 during the regular signing period, which opens on Wednesday, February 3.

K-STATE FOOTBALL SIGNING DAY PRESS CONFERENCE

“Good afternoon everyone. I’m excited to announce 14 young men that have signed onto our program and a 15th that we will talk about a little bit later on. I’m really excited for our staff to be able to bring these young men into the fold. It’s been a challenging time as well all know, and to think about how long we have been recruiting so many of these players and the fact that none of them had an official visit and none of them we were able to see at the school, none of them we were able to have a home visit with. Everything was done virtual and via Zoom. A few kids have been on campus when they were juniors, which obviously helped us a little bit in the long run. I know a handful of guys that we don’t believe have ever been on campus, not even coming up on their own sometime this summer or fall. What a challenge that is and that shows the confidence these young men and their families have in us and what we are doing here at Kansas State, and the confidence in the relationships that they have been building with Taylor Braet and the recruiting staff, position coaches, recruiting coaches, and myself the head coach that we were able to sign such a quality class with limited resources and limited time that we had face to face with these guys. I’m thrilled for these guys. It’s such a special day. I don’t care what kind of pandemic or all the other stuff, what a special day for these young men and families to know where they are going to college and to be a part of the K-State Family. We are excited because it’s a great day for us at Kansas State to welcome these young men and their families, so we couldn’t be more thrilled for these guys. We had a pretty good Zoom with a number of them and celebrated. We did something different that we haven’t done. We had cameras put up all over Vanier – the weight room, outside my office, trophy area, offices – and had a bunch of them on together and started to build that bond together, and it was a pretty cool morning. So, I’m excited about these guys.”

On if any players took a big leap between their junior and senior seasons...

“It’s probably hard to answer that because a lot of them we didn’t see as juniors other than on film and maybe didn’t see their body frame. Then you watch a limited amount of games that they did have in their senior year. Some guys played only a handful of games and some guys got a full season and some guys maybe only got one or two games. Someone that jumps out at me that I was able to go see in person was DaVonte Pritchard in person play when he was a junior, and I thought right away there’s a kid that is a Big 12 football player that will come in and will strike you and was a really good athlete on offense as well, but on defense is where we will play him. DaVonte was a kid that jumped out at me really quickly who is going to be a phenomenal Big 12 defensive player.”

On recruiting restrictions with no visits...

“I don’t know that for a fact, but I know this, the ones that we have been on and stayed on and have had phenomenal communication with and committed to us early, we were able to hold. That’s the thing that I was excited about. Give Taylor Braet and Chuck Lillie so much credit because they were the behind-the-scenes guys who kept us up to date as coaches and kept in contact with those guys. We are excited about this class, and I know there are some tremendous football players in here.”

On wide receiver RJ Garcia II and Brenen Hawkins...

“RJ is a really talented player from Berkeley Prep. His dad is a basketball coach, so he’s grown up in the coaching world and understands it. He’s a really mature player and has put on some added weight already. He had a good season for them his senior year, and he will be here in the summer and are excited about him, as well as Brenen Hawkins, who is a big body, 6-foot-4 wide receiver who will be here this summer as well. So, we feel good about adding two wide receivers.”

“We are excited about Jake. We’ve been recruiting him for an awful long time. He’s been on campus a few times. I go way back with his father, T.J., who grew up in Iowa, a Davenport, Iowa, guy, and I hosted his dad on an official visit at Northern Iowa back in the late 80’s. So, I’ve known T.J. for a while. I know the pedigree. T.J. played in the NFL for a while, a great quarterback at Tulsa, and Jake’s very much the same mold as his father. Jake loves the game of football, and that’s what you are looking for at the quarterback position is someone who loves the game of football, that is a sponge and wants to learn from Coach (Collin) Klein and Coach (Courtney) Messingham and get in our system quickly. He has a really strong arm and is a really accurate player, and we are excited to add another piece to our quarterback room.”

On if Jake Rubley’s commitment helped land other players...

“Absolutely. He actually committed to Coach (Collin) Klein and I the day of the Liberty Bowl last year. That was really great news that day and lifted our spirits after a tough game, but he absolutely did a great job of trying to help out and reach out and kids reached out to him. When you land someone of Jake’s caliber, people take notice, and it definitely helped us.”

On offensive lineman Andrew Leingang...

“So excited. Andrew came down for our Iowa State game last year and got to see the cold, windy day and said that was a typical day in North Dakota and is really used to it. Andrew knows how to win. All they do at Bismarck Century is win state championships, and he won another one this year. We were fortunate enough to land Andrew, a versatility offensive lineman that can play guard or tackle. He’s very athletic, very physical with a great personality. People are going to enjoy getting to know Andrew. That’s Carson Wentz’s high school as well, so Coach (Ron) Wingenbach helped us out to get another guy from Bismarck Century, and we are just thrilled to have Andrew and his family join our family.”

On if any players have a chance to make an early impact...

“We hope they all can have an impact early. You don’t know when that’s going to be based on positions, based on needs, based on injury, based on all that stuff. We’ve told everyone to be prepared to compete. The four-game rule is such a huge factor, I don’t care if you’re a linebacker to a wide receiver to a lineman. Carver Willis played, and I know this was a free year, but Carver played for us as a true freshman on the offensive line. Everyone has that opportunity, and that’s something that I know excites people right now with us building our roster and continuing to build depth for our football team. If you show up and do things the right way, learn our system, buy in, be a team guy first, you have a great opportunity to see the field early.”

“We are going to have to a little bit. We are still having conversations with seniors, so we don’t know where that is going to land with a handful of guys who haven’t made that decision on if they are going to come back or not. We, like everybody else, will continue to try to build our roster and make sure that we are equipped at all positions to be able to handle that tough Big 12 schedule for 2021.”

On Skylar Thompson’s decision...

“He and I are visiting later on this week. That was the plan all along was he was continuing his rehab and I was going to get through signing day. Then Skylar and I – probably on Friday – will have a conversation about where his mind is at.”

On if they were worried about any of the commits signing…

“You know, no, and that’s what’s really neat about this class is we’ve been talking to these guys for so long and communicating with these guys for so long, and they have been communicating with each other for so long that they’ve really developed a bond together. So, we had all of them in relatively early today based on what time zone they were in. Last night when we had a staff meeting middle of the evening, we talked about that, were we worried about anybody, and we really weren’t. We were very confident that these guys were going to sign, and they’ve been with us all along. They knew the struggles of COVID and the struggles this year that everybody has had, and they never wavered. That’s the sign of the right kind of guys that are going to impact your program.”

On if their recruiting approach has evolved any in the past two years…

“Well, we’re learning. For sure it’s evolving and it’s evolving every year, and we have to continue to talk about it as a staff. This year was so unique, that for us finding guys in a drivable distance was very, very important. Moving forward we still need to win in the state of Kansas. That’s first and foremost. We need to win in the state of Kansas. We’re winning games with a lot of Kansas kids, and that’s going to be our focal point, and then branch it off from there and have a circle around that and see who can drive here four, five, six hours. Then, obviously, we’re going to still hit the areas of Texas, and Georgia, and Florida, and some upper Midwest kids, obviously like we did with Andrew from North Dakota from a specific position with it being O-line. So, we’ll still have our main footprint, but in the same respect, we have to go inside out. We have to be able to win in Kansas first.”

On if they will use the February signing date to fill out this class...

“That’s a good question. We’re still evaluating some. We still have some scholarships available. We’re still really looking hard at some kids to give them an opportunity to walk-on because there so many kids that have walked-on to this program dating back to when Coach (Bill Snyder) was here, to just in the last couple years. So many walk-ons have earned scholarships here. It’s a great place for walk-ons to come because they know they are going to get an opportunity, they know they are going to get treated fairly, they’re going to get treated well and have a chance to make an impact and earn scholarships. So, we’ll continue to take a look at some walk-on guys as well as keep looking at our overall depth. We still probably need to wait a week or so, get some answers from some seniors and see where we need to fill in.”

On withdrawing from bowl game consideration...

“Yeah, I was disappointed. If you would've asked me a week ago how the preparation for bowl games were going, I would’ve said really well. I had a number of conversations with Gene Taylor and we fully believe we were going to be invited to a bowl. I expressed that to the guys that it was probably going to be between one or two bowls and do you guys want to play, and they all were like, ‘Yeah, we want to play.’ So, we were working just with our young kids all of last week and had some more great practices with kids that had not practiced or had missed 30-plus days. Then over the weekend we had several kids not feel well and a handful of those guys tested positive. Then you throw in the close contacts to those handful of guys that we had test positive. We have really smart people around here in our medical profession that the track record says when you have the amount that we had in a two-day span, we’re probably going to get a few more whether it’s in three days, five days, seven days when you look at having to pause. We were actually having a little dodgeball tournament and I got a call from Matt Thomason that we were going to pause. So, you combine those things, not knowing when you’re going to restart as well as the amount of kids that are bandaged together or are either scheduled to have surgery or have already had surgery, we just didn’t think we could probably pull it off. We did not want to be in a position where we would’ve accepted a bowl invitation on Sunday, then we have a testing on Monday and then we would’ve had six more kids test positive and put ourselves in a position where we would’ve had to renege on something. I just didn’t want to do that. I’ve had long conversations with Gene Taylor, and I’m at peace with the fact that we’re doing the best we can for the health and safety of this football team, now and moving forward. So, hopefully these kids that have gotten positive aren’t going to be real sick and can get through it.”

On what stands out about running back Devrin Weathers…

“Well for starters, he comes from a tradition-laden program and Webb City has been phenomenal for decades. Devrin was fun to watch because we didn’t know to project him as a defensive back, a linebacker, we knew he could be a running back. So, at his size and athleticism – he’s a phenomenal baseball player too – but at his athleticism, we said we just have to get the kid in the program. We have to find wherever we can to put him. Then as you kept watching his senior tape unfold, it became more and more clear to us that he’s that big back that has great speed, great elusiveness, can run through arm tackles, that we’re excited to be able to pair back there in the backfield and utilize him there and be a great special teams player. I just think, athletically, when you have somebody with his skillset and his ability to run and be physical like he is, he was going to be a can’t miss and was going to help us somewhere, but we’re going to start him out at running back.

On the two linebackers they signed...

“Well, we’re excited. We talked about DaVonte already, and I saw him play. Then you want to watch a kid on film in Gaven Haselhorst. You’re not going to see a kid that loves the game and plays the game as hard as Gaven does on an every-down basis. He’s played some defensive end, he’s played some stand-up for Hays – and we see him as a kid that we know could play that – but we see him at the next-level being an inside linebacker, just how physical he is. He doesn’t get blocked. He plays the game the right way. He understands the game of football well, so it gives us some really good young players in there to be able to build off of. I’m excited about those two guys because they love football and their physical guys.”

On if they look at what other Big 12 schools are doing when they recruit...

“No, we just focus on ourselves more than anything and how they can impact our program offensively, defensively, special teams. How they can impact what we’re doing as far as getting the right kind of guys with high character and integrity in here. Do they want to play at K-State? We’re not going to beg anybody to come to Kansas State, it’s too special of a place. We have kids that generally want to be here. So, for us, we just focus in on what we’re looking for and what we need. It’s just like if somebody is a 2-star, 3-star, 4-star, whatever, do they fit what we’re looking for and that’s the most important thing for us.”

On if he expects running back Joe Ervin back next season…

“Yeah, the plan is for Joe to come back once we start the second semester, you bet.”

“Well, I get to announce our 15th signee in Gunar Reed. We call him G-Man. Gunner is from Overland Park, Kansas, was born in Salina and will graduate from Shawnee Mission West High School this May. But you talk about somebody that embodies toughness, resiliency, character, integrity, always has a smile on his face, G-Man has been through an awful lot. G-Man’s been through 36 surgeries and three open heart surgeries. We had a Make-a-Wish foundation day with G-Man on our Zoom with some players a few weeks ago, and he had an impact on all of us. To see what he’s fighting through on a daily basis and to see the fight and resolve that he has gone through with a smile on his face puts everything into perspective for me. So, as we continued on and visited with him, shoot, we had him on the sideline with Taylor (Braet)at Baylor during pregame and showing him some things, talking with our guys during pregame. I sent him an Audience of One bracelet that I got from Carson Wentz, and Carson helped me get another one for G-Man. G-Man is wearing that thing with pride because we do it for the Good Lord and for everybody that has blessed us to have the opportunities we have. G-Man is our hero. I had a chance to visit earlier this week with Coach Braet, and Taylor and I decided that we’re going to sign him. He’s going to be a Kansas State Wildcat for life. As tough as this has been for us as a season, as tough as this has been for these players, nobody is as tough as Gunar. Nobody is as tough as G-Man. Nobody is as tough as his family, to persevere and to go through what he has gone through his whole life and to do it with the pride he has. He loves Kansas State, he loves the Chiefs, and he loves the Royals, and I know that those three teams help him through every day. Any bit of joy we can provide for him, we’re going to do that. I can’t thank our players enough for reaching out to him on so many different occasions and lifting his spirits, because this is a young man that’s going to be a Wildcat for life and EMAW. We love you, G-Man, and we’re always rooting for you, we’re always praying for you, and so happy to welcome you to the K-State Family.”

🏈 K-State announces 14 early football signees

🎙 AUDIO: Eagle Radio Sports for Thursday

SALINA, Kan. - The Hutchinson Salthawks girls will travel to Salina South in basketball action tonight.&nbsp; The Boys games have all been postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions within both the Hutchinson and Salina South teams. Those games have been rescheduled for December 22nd.

All the games will&nbsp; be video streamed by Salina South High School. Just register for free at <a href="http://nfhsnetwork.com">nfhsnetwork.com</a>, then search for Hutchinson High School.&nbsp; That channel is now free, but road games will not have the KWBW audio.

Go to KWBW Radio at 1450am/98.5fm or kwbwradio.com to hear the KWBW audio of the game. You can also connect to KWBW with the BW app as well as Alexa and google devices. 

Veteran Eagle Radio Hutchinson Sports Director Glen Grunwald and Dan Naccarato will bring you all the action beginning with the pregame show at 7:15 pm on tonight.

Audio Stream link:&nbsp; <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KWBW">CLICK HERE</a>

4:00 - Freshman Girls Video Stream @ 4:15 pm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/salina-south-high-school-salina-ks">CLICK HERE</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

6:00 - Junior Varsity Girls Video Stream @ 6:00 pm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/salina-south-high-school-salina-ks">CLICK HERE</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

7:30 - Junior Varsity Girls Video Stream @ 6:00 pm&nbsp;CLICK HERE.&nbsp;&nbsp;

SALINA, Kan. - The Hutchinson Salthawks girls will travel to Salina South in basketball action tonight.&nbsp; The Boys games have all been postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions within both the Hutchinson and Salina South teams. Those games have been rescheduled for December 22nd. All the games will&nbsp; be video streamed by Salina South High School. Just register for free at <a href="http://nfhsnetwork.com">nfhsnetwork.com</a>, then search for Hutchinson High School.&nbsp; That channel is now free, but road games will not have the KWBW audio.Go to KWBW Radio at 1450am/98.5fm or kwbwradio.com to hear the KWBW audio of the game. You can also connect to KWBW with the BW app as well as Alexa and google devices. Veteran Eagle Radio Hutchinson Sports Director Glen Grunwald and Dan Naccarato will bring you all the action beginning with the pregame show at 7:15 pm on tonight.Audio Stream link:&nbsp; <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KWBW">CLICK HERE</a>4:00 - Freshman Girls Video Stream @ 4:15 pm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/salina-south-high-school-salina-ks">CLICK HERE</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;6:00 - Junior Varsity Girls Video Stream @ 6:00 pm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/salina-south-high-school-salina-ks">CLICK HERE</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp; 7:30 - Junior Varsity Girls Video Stream @ 6:00 pm&nbsp;CLICK HERE.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Hutch High Girls open conference play at Salina South tonight

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The full value of Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu isn't realized until you see him interacting with teammates in the locker room, on the practice field and during pre-game stretching. It's at that point you notice his upbeat personality, his never-good-enough attitude and his raw desire to be the best at his position, which seems to spread like a contagion to everybody else on the team. That said, he's fairly good at intercepting passes and sacking the quarterback, too.

UNDATED (AP) — The game of the weekend in the Big Ten, and nation, pits No. 3 Iowa against top-ranked Gonzaga of the West Coast Conference. The game is set for Saturday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Iowa and Gonzaga are the top two teams in the Kenpom.com offensive rankings. Iowa's Luka Garza will go against Drew Timme in a matchup of the nation's top two big men. The Zags haven't played since Dec. 2 because of COVID-19 issues.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The full value of Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu isn't realized until you see him interacting with teammates in the locker room, on the practice field and during pre-game stretching. It's at that point you notice his upbeat personality, his never-good-enough attitude and his raw desire to be the best at his position, which seems to spread like a contagion to everybody else on the team. That said, he's fairly good at intercepting passes and sacking the quarterback, too.UNDATED (AP) — The game of the weekend in the Big Ten, and nation, pits No. 3 Iowa against top-ranked Gonzaga of the West Coast Conference. The game is set for Saturday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Iowa and Gonzaga are the top two teams in the Kenpom.com offensive rankings. Iowa's Luka Garza will go against Drew Timme in a matchup of the nation's top two big men. The Zags haven't played since Dec. 2 because of COVID-19 issues.BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — McKinley Wright IV had 17 points and eight assists and Colorado never trailed in its 91-49 win over Omaha. Wright made 6 of 8 from the field, grabbed five rebounds and did not commit a turnover. Freshman Jabari Walker had season highs with 15 points and nine rebounds, Dallas Walton scored 14 points and D'Shawn Schwartz added 11 for Colorado (4-1). The Buffaloes made six of their first seven shots to take a 15-4 lead when Wright hit a 3-pointer less than four minutes into the game and a 14-0 run made it 32-9 with 8:48 left in the first half. La'Mel Robinson led Omaha (2-6) with 11 points.&nbsp;UNDATED (AP) — The Buffalo Bills can clinch the AFC East for the first time since 1995 with a win on Saturday or a loss by the Dolphins on Sunday. The Pittsburgh Steelers can wrap up the AFC North with a victory on Monday night or a loss by Cleveland on Sunday night. And the New Orleans can clinch the NFC South with a victory against the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs or a Tampa Bay loss at Atlanta.SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Gaige Prim had 20 points as Missouri State beat William Jewell 73-64. Grant Stubbs led the Cardinals with 12 points and 11 rebounds.UNDATED (AP) — Virginia Tech is ending the nation's longest bowl streak at 27 years. Hokies coach Justin Fuente said Wednesday the players decided to bypass postseason, &nbsp;ending their pandemic-hit season at 5-6. Virginia Tech is the fifth Atlantic Coast Conference team to opt out, joining Boston College, Pittsburgh, Virginia and Georgia Tech. Kansas State also withdrew from bowl consideration, saying it paused all football activities indefinitely amid an outbreak of positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing that would have prevented it from fielding enough players to play. It is the first Big 12 school to opt out.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULENova coach gets milestone winUNDATED (AP) — Jay Wright has become the 39th men's basketball coach to win 600 games.Wright reached the milestone when seventh-ranked Villanova knocked off Butler, 85-66. Collin Gillespie and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl each scored 18 points in the Wildcats' latest home-opener game ever.Jair Bolden scored 18 points for the Bulldogs, who trailed by just two in the second half before the Wildcats pulled away to improve to 6-1.Villanova also announced that Saturday's game against Virginia at Madison Square Garden has been canceled. The Cavaliers have been dealing with COVID-19 issues that have caused four straight games to be canceled or postponed. The Wildcats will try to schedule a home game for Saturday.Elsewhere in men's top-25 basketball action:— Courtney Ramey nailed five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points and six assists to send 11th-ranked Texas to a 79-63 victory against Sam Houston State. Freshman Greg Brown chipped in 17 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. — Purdue was a 67-60 winner against No. 20 Ohio State as Trevion Williams contributed 16 points, nine rebounds and a career-high eight assists in his second game coming off the bench. Eric Hunter Jr. added a season-best 15 points to help Matt Painter beat a ranked team for the 50th time in 16 seasons as the Boilermakers coach.— Sophomore forward Matthew Hurt scored 18 points and three Duke freshmen also cracked double digits in a 75-65 win at Notre Dame. D.J. Steward had 16 points to go with seven rebounds, while Jeremy Roach scored 14 and Jaemyn Brakefield added 10 for the 21st-rated Blue Devils.NCAA-TRANSER ELIGIBILITYNCAA OK's immediate transfer abilityUNDATED (AP) — Transferring college athletes have received good news from the NCAA.The Division I Council has granted blanket waivers for all athletes to play immediately. The decision includes all Division I sports, but is contingent on certain criteria being met.Transfers previously were required to sit out a season unless granted a waiver by the NCAA. The NCAA had decided on waivers on a case-by-case basis, but had been more lenient during the coronavirus pandemic.The decision should have an immediate impact on basketball programs, with some transfers becoming eligible for games on Wednesday.NFL-NEWSBrees coming off injured reserve listUNDATED (AP) — The New Orleans Saints could have Drew Brees (breez) back in the starting lineup as early as Sunday against the defending Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs.The record-setting quarterback has been designated to return from the club's injured reserve list after missing four games with fractured ribs and a punctured lung. Coach Sean Payton has not indicated when he intends to play Brees but has said the signal caller is not someone the Saints would hurry back. The 41-year-old Brees was injured while being sacked on Nov. 15 against San Francisco. The Saints have gone 3-1 since with Taysom Hill starting.In other NFL news:— NFL owners have delayed a decision on implementing a 17-game regular season for 2021. The NFL and the players' union agreed during collective bargaining talks earlier this year to adding one regular-season game to the schedule, but not before next season. Commissioner Roger Goodell said a scheduling formula for a 17th game was approved unanimously, but did not immediately provide details.— The 49ers are sticking with Nick Mullens at quarterback for now despite a pair of costly turnovers that led to defensive touchdowns in last weekend's loss to Washington. Coach Kyle Shanahan had said he would evaluate the position following the loss but ultimately decided to stick with Mullens over C.J. Beathard for Sunday's game at Dallas. Starter Jimmy Garoppolo remains out with an ankle injury.— The Ravens have placed receivers Marquise Brown, Mile Boykin and James Proche on the reserve/COVID-19 list, leaving their status uncertain for Sunday's game against Jacksonville. Brown scored a key touchdown for Baltimore in the fourth quarter of Monday's 47-42 victory at Cleveland. Brown is tied for the team lead with 43 catches and has a team-high 605 yards receiving with five TDs.— Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer declined Wednesday to commit to using kicker Dan Bailey for the upcoming game against Chicago. Bailey missed three goal attempts and an extra point in Sunday's 26-14 loss at Tampa Bay. The Vikings released practice squad kicker Tristan Vizcaino this week and had free agent kicker Chandler Catanzaro in for a tryout. — Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez has returned to practice just 15 days after having surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. Colts coach Frank Reich says he is hopeful Sanchez will play Sunday against Houston. Sanchez is averaging 47.2 yards this season with a net of 40.6. — Seahawks veteran tight end Greg Olsen has returned to the practice field far sooner than most expected. Olsen was designated for return to practice on Wednesday by the Seahawks, less than a month after he landed on injured reserve with a torn fascia in his left foot. At the time of his injury, Seattle estimated Olsen would be out at least a month and potentially upward of six weeks. — The Bengals have put defensive tackle Geno Atkins on injured reserve with a right shoulder injury. Atkins missed the first four games and has played sparingly since following the injury suffered in training camp. He has one tackle in seven games. — Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins took snaps with the first team offense on Wednesday while Alex Smith missed practice with a right calf injury. Smith got hurt in the first half of Sunday's win over the 49ers. Coach Ron Rivera says he would be OK with waiting until just before the team's next game before deciding who to start at quarterback. — The status of Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has become more iffy for Sunday's game against Cleveland because of another injury on top of his hamstring problem. Coach Joe Judge said the second-year quarterback also is dealing with an injury to his lower leg. It apparently happened during Sunday's 26-7 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. — Browns cornerback Denzel Ward has returned to practice after missing three games with a calf injury. Ward was playing at a Pro Bowl level when he got hurt against Philadelphia last month. He was leading the NFL in passes defensed at the time of his injury. COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NEWSKansas State is latest to pass on bowl gameUNDATED (AP) — Kansas State and Virginia Tech are the latest Power Five team to withdraw from consideration for a bowl game, joining Boston College, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Virginia and Stanford.The Wildcats paused all football activities indefinitely on Wednesday amid an outbreak of positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing that would have prevented them from fielding enough players to play.Kansas State lost its last five games but was in line for a bowl game because it finished seventh in the Big 12. The NCAA has also waived minimum wins required for bowl eligibility.More than 125 games since late August have been postponed or canceled because of the pandemic.Hokies coach Justin Fuente said Wednesday the players decided to bypass a bowl game, ending their pandemic-hit season at 5-6. Fuente said he has players who would like to go home for Christmas, adding that he thinks they've sacrificed enough."In other college football news:— Coastal Carolina football coach Jamey Chadwell has accepted a contract extension through 2027. Chadwell and the ninth-ranked Chanticleers are enjoying a breakout undefeated season in just their fourth year in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Among their eight wins are victories against eighth-ranked BYU and No. 21 Louisiana.— Azusa Pacific is ending its football program this month after 55 years of Division II and NAIA competition. Athletic director Gary Pine says the decision was prompted by other four-year schools in California dropping the sport over the last 30 years. The reduced schedule selections have given Azusa Pacific fewer in-state opponents to play, which has led to high travel costs. NBA-NEWSHarden sidesteps trade talkUNDATED (AP) — Houston Rockets disgruntled guard James Harden spoke to the media Wednesday for the first time since reporting late to camp amid reports that he wants to be traded. Harden sidestepped questions about his trade demand, saying he's focused on being in Houston. He brushed off the suggestion that the trade rumors could be a distraction for the team.Harden appears to be in worse physical condition than he was during Houston's last playoff game. Social media went wild with jokes about his apparent weight gain after he was seen in uniform Tuesday night for the first time in months.Also around the NBA:— The Grizzlies have exercised the 2021-22 options for reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke and Grayson Allen. Morant started 67 games last season and led the team in scoring average at 17.8 points. Jackson has averaged 15.5 points in 113 starts over two seasons. — The NBA says only one new case of coronavirus was found in test results from 549 players taken since Dec. 10. The league now has reported 57 player positive tests since the week preceding the start of training camps. Of those, 48 came in the first week of testing, followed by eight the following week and now one more.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-FLORIDA-JOHNSONSchool says Johnson improvingGAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin told WRUF radio that Gators forward Keyontae Johnson continues to make progress after collapsing on the court during Saturday's game at Florida State. Stricklin said Johnson is "trending in the right direction, but we still have a lot of questions." Witnesses said Johnson was standing near midcourt and suddenly fell forward and landed on his face. MLB-NEWSRays ink ZuninoUNDATED (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays have signed free agent catcher Mike Zunino (zuh-NEE'-noh) to a one-year, $2 million contract that includes a $4 million club option for 2022.The 29-year-old is considered a solid defender and has significant power but has struggled to make contact, hitting .147 with four homers and 10 RBIs in 25 starts this year.Zunino hit .170 but had four home runs and drove in eight during the Rays postseason run to the American League pennant.In other MLB news: — Right-hander Anthony DeSclafani has signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Giants. DeSclafani went 1-2 with a 7.22 ERA in 33 2/3 innings over nine games, including seven starts this year. The 30-year-old DeSclafani can earn an additional $250,000 in performance bonuses based on innings pitched.— Left-hander Alex Claudio has agreed to a one-year, $1.125 million contract with the Angels, adding the sidearm reliever to their bullpen makeover. Claudio is 15-8 with 13 saves and a 3.44 ERA in his major league career, which began with the Rangers in 2014. He ranks third in appearances among all major league hurlers since 2017, taking the mound in 239 games and leading the majors with 83 for the 2019 Brewers.— Big league managers say that Major League Baseball has instructed them to prepare for spring training to start on time in mid-February despite uncertainty around the coronavirus. Rays manager Kevin Cash says the league is optimistic about an on-time start after the commissioner's office spoke with managers Tuesday. Managers say they expect the 2021 season to start with health protocols in place to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks, but they also don't plan to mandate vaccines for players when one is made available.— Longtime major league shortstop Omar Vizquel is denying accusations of domestic abuse made by his wife. Blanca Vizquel described two alleged acts of physical violence by the 11-time Gold Glove winner in a story published Wednesday by The Athletic.TENNIS-AUSTRALIAN OPENAustralian Open pushed backLONDON (AP) — The Australian Open is set to begin Feb. 8, three weeks later than planned.The change is part of a pandemic-altered 2021 tennis calendar released by the men's professional tour Wednesday.The ATP said that men's qualifying for the season's first Grand Slam tournament is being moved to Doha, Qatar, from Jan. 10-13. That will be followed by a period of about 2 1/2 weeks set aside for travel to Melbourne and a 14-day quarantine period for players and their coaches or other support staff.A 12-team ATP Cup, the relocated Adelaide International and an additional men's tournament will be held in Melbourne to give players a chance to prepare for the hard-court Australian Open.NHL-WILD-GOALIESWith Stalock injured, Wild sign goalie Hammond for insuranceST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild have signed goaltender Andrew Hammond to a one-year, two-way contract as depth following a long-term injury for Alex Stalock (STAY'-lahk).Hammond spent the last two years in the AHL, with the Minnesota affiliate Iowa Wild and the Buffalo affiliate Rochester Americans. He was 16-12-3 with a 2.53 goals against average last season.SUPREME COURT-NCAASupreme Court agrees to hear NCAA athlete compensation caseWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has agreed to review a court decision that the NCAA has said blurred "the line between student-athletes and professionals" by removing caps on education-related money certain football and basketball players can receive.The case will be argued in 2021 with a decision expected before the end of June.The high court's action comes after a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in May. The panel upheld a lower court ruling barring the NCAA from capping education-related compensation and benefits for student-athletes in Division I football and basketball programs. Division I conferences can still independently set their own rules.