WSJM Sports

The Brandywine Bobcats are heading to State for the first time in school history! Jonny Reinhardt had a chance to catch up with Coach Nate Knapp to talk about his expectations coming into this season, what it feels like to still be in the tournament and how he is keeping his team focused as they head to the Breslin Center at MSU for the State Semifinals.

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Our WSJM Sports Player of the Week is Micah Herbst of Michigan Lutheran Boys Basketball.   Micah is currently a sophomore at Michigan Lutheran High School in St. Joseph and carries a 3.5 GPA in the Classroom.  Earlier in the Week, Sports Director Dave Wolf sat down with Micah and Michigan Lutheran Head Coach and his father Matt Herbst to talk about Micah and the Titans team.

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This week on The Coaches, we recap the boys basketball seasons for St. Joe, Our Lady of the Lake, Michigan Lutheran, and Eau Claire…

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NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Denver Nuggets 119, Detroit Pistons 100
Indiana Pacers 139, Milwaukee Bucks 123

Nuggets 119, Pistons 100 – Nuggets top Pistons to end skid, clinch Northwest Division
Nikola Jokic deferred to teammates early before looking for his shot and finished with 30 points to help the Denver Nuggets beat the Detroit Pistons 119-100 to end a season-high four-game losing streak and clinch the Northwest Division. The two-time reigning NBA MVP had three assists and three rebounds before his first attempt several minutes into the game and finished 14 of 18 from the field with 10 rebounds and nine assists. Rodney McGruder scored 20 for the Pistons, who have lost 12 of 13 games and have the NBA’s worst record.

Pacers 139, Bucks 123 – Pacers rally late, beat Eastern Conference-leading Bucks
Andrew Nembhard scored 24 points and Aaron Nesmith hit six 3-pointers and finished with 22 points as the Indiana Pacers rallied late and beat the Central Division- and Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks 139-123.

Tonight
Minnesota Timberwolves at Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p.m.

Saturday
Philadelphia at Indiana, 7:00 p.m.
Miami at Chicago, 8:00 p.m.

Sunday
Miami at Detroit, 6:00 p.m.

NBA – Bulls’ Ball to have cartilage transplant in ailing left knee
Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball will have a cartilage transplant in his left knee. The team and his agency, Klutch Sports, didn’t say when the operation will take place or what the timeline for his recovery will be. It will be Ball’s third surgery on the knee in a little more than a year. Ball hasn’t played in over a year and Chicago ruled him out for the season last month. Ball averaged 13 points and 5.1 assists while shooting 42.3% on 3-pointers over 35 games last season, his first in Chicago. The Bulls have lost six in a row are 11th in the Eastern Conference at 26-33.

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball – NCAA Tournament
Yesterday
NCAA Tournament First Round
8 Maryland 67, 9 West Virginia 65
13 Furman 68, 4 Virginia 67
7 Missouri 76, 10 Utah State 65
1 Kansas 96, 16 Howard 68
1 Alabama 96, 16 Texas A&M Corpus Christi 75
5 San Diego State 63, 12 Charleston 57
15 Princeton 59, 2 Arizona 55
8 Arkansas 73, 9 Illinois 63
9 Auburn 83, 8 Iowa 75
5 Duke 74, 12 Oral Roberts 51
2 Texas 81, 15 Colgate 61
7 Northwestern 75, 10 Boise State 67
1 Houston 63, 16 Northern Kentucky 52
4 Tennessee 58, 13 Louisiana 55
10 Penn State 76, 7 Texas A&M 59
2 UCLA 86, 15 UNC-Ashville 53

Today
NCAA Tournament First Round
10 USC vs. 7 Michigan State, 12:15 p.m. Superhits 103.7 Cosy-FM 11:00
14 Kennesaw State vs. 3 Xavier, 12:40 p.m.
14 UC Santa Barbara vs. 3 Baylor, 1:30 p.m.
12 VCU vs. 5 St. Mary’s, 2:00 p.m.
15 Vermont vs. 2 Marquette, 2:45 p.m.
11 Pittsburgh vs. 6 Iowa State, 3:10 p.m.
11 NC State vs. 6 Creighton, 4:00 p.m.
13 Iona vs. 4 UConn, 4:30 p.m.
16 Fairleigh Dickinson vs. 1 Purdue, 6:50 p.m.
11 Providence vs. 6 Kentucky, 7:10 p.m.
12 Drake vs. 5 Miami, 7:25 p.m.
14 Grand Canyon vs. 3 Gonzaga, 7:35 p.m.
9 Florida Atlantic vs. 8 Memphis, 9:20 p.m.
14 Montana State vs. 3 Kansas State, 9:40 p.m.
13 Kent State vs. 4 Indiana, 9:55 p.m.
11 Arizona State vs. 6 TCU, 10:05 p.m.

NCAAMBKB – Most March Madness brackets bust before sundown on Day 1
NCAA Tournament brackets were busted early Thursday. No. 13 seed Furman beat fourth-seeded Virginia and No. 15 Princeton defeated second-seeded Arizona. The NCAA March Madness Twitter account posted that only .065% of brackets remained perfect as the first round was still being played. In ESPN’s Tournament Challenge bracket game, 18,078 perfect brackets remained. Just more than 20 million had suffered at least one loss.

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball – NIT
Saturday
NIT Second Round
Michigan at Vanderbilt, 12:00 p.m.                News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 11:30

NCAAWBKB – Women’s College Basketball (local teams only)
Today
11 UNLV vs. 6 Michigan, 3:00 p.m.                        at LSU
14 Southern Utah vs. 3 Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m.        at Notre Dame

NCAAWBKB – Irish star Olivia Miles out rest of season with knee injury
Notre Dame point guard Olivia Miles will miss the remainder of the season with an injury to her right knee. She suffered the injury in the regular-season finale against Louisville and sat out the ACC Tournament. She will undergo surgery next week. The second-team Associated Press All-American led Notre Dame to the ACC regular season title. She averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game. The Fighting Irish (25-5) are a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will host No. 14 Southern Utah (23-9) on Friday.

MLB – Major League Baseball – Spring Training
Yesterday
Arizona Diamondbacks 3, Chicago Cubs 1
Cleveland Guardians 5, Chicago White Sox 1
Philadelphia Phillies 10, Detroit Tigers 1

Today
New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers, 1:05 p.m.
Chicago Cubs (SS) at Chicago White Sox, 4:05 p.m.
Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs (SS), 4:05 p.m.

NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Chicago Blackhawks 2, Nashville Predators 1

Pacers 139, Bucks 123 – Stalock’s 35 saves lead Blackhawks over Predators 2-1
Alex Stalock made 35 saves to lead the Chicago Blackhawks over the Nashville Predators 2-1. Lukas Reichel and Joey Anderson scored for Chicago, which has won two straight. Roman Josi scored late and Juuse Saros stopped 19 shots for Nashville, which had its three-game winning streak snapped. The Predators trail Winnipeg by four points in the race for the Western Conference’s second wild-card berth. Nashville has played three fewer games than the Jets.

Saturday
Colorado at Detroit, 1:00 p.m.
Chicago at Arizona, 10:30 p.m.

NHL – Blackhawks forward Cole Guttman has shoulder surgery
Chicago Blackhawks forward Cole Guttman had surgery on his right shoulder. The team says the operation was performed in Los Angeles. Team physician Michael Terry says the 23-year-old Guttman is expected “to be out of hockey activities for approximately four months.” Guttman had been a pleasant surprise for rebuilding Chicago. He made his NHL debut last month and finished the season with four goals and two assists in 14 games.

NFL – Poles: Bears in better place after trade, free agency moves
General manager Ryan Poles acknowledged the temptation to wait and see if the Chicago Bears could get more for the No. 1 overall selection in the draft. He couldn’t pass up the chance to add a receiver when the Carolina Panthers offered DJ Moore to go with a haul of picks. The Bears addressed a big need when they agreed to send the No. 1 pick to Carolina for Moore. Besides giving quarterback Justin Fields a top-tier downfield option, they also got the No. 9 and No. 61 overall picks in 2023 plus a first-rounder in 2024 and a second-rounder in 2025. They continued to make moves once free agency started this week. But they still need help on the offensive and defensive lines.

NCAAFB – Michigan RB Blake Corum says he’ll be back by fall camp
Michigan All-America running back Blake Corum says his surgically repaired left knee has gotten strong enough that he has been cleared to run on an anti-gravity treadmill next week. Corum says he’s sure he will play in the season-opening game on Sept. 2 against East Carolina. He tore a meniscus and sprained a ligament in his left knee against Illinois in November. After playing sparingly against Ohio State, he sat out when the Wolverines won the Big Ten title and advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals. Corum ran for 1,463 yards last season.

Golf – PGA – Brehm makes ace for share of lead at Valspar, Spieth 1 back
Ryan Brehm was having a solid round in the Valspar Championship. One swing made it a memorable round. Brehm made a hole-in-one on the 17th hole. That led to a 66 and gives Brehm a three-way share of the lead with Stephan Jaeger and Adam Schenk. Jordan Spieth is in the group one shot behind. Spieth only hit five fairways. But his putting is starting to look as good as ever. Spieth is a past winner at Innisbrook. He’s playing the tournament for the first time in five years. Two-time defending champion Sam Burns and Justin Thomas are at 69.

AHL – American Hockey League
Last Night
Grand Rapids Griffins 4, Cleveland Monsters 3

MHSAA – High School Sports
Yesterday
Girls Basketball – State Semifinals
Division 3 at Michigan State University
Blissfield 45, Madison Heights Bishop Foley 41
Hemlock 57, Hart 26

Division 4 at Michigan State University
Baraga 46, Fowler – 44
Glen Lake 49, Adrian Lenawee Christian 31

Yesterday
Girls Basketball – State Semifinals
Division 1 at Michigan State University
Salem vs. West Bloomfield, 12:00 p.m.
Detroit Renaissance vs. Rockford, 2:00 p.m.

Division 4 at Michigan State University
Frankenmuth vs. Goodrich, 5:30 p.m.
Grand Rapids West Catholic vs. Lansing Catholic, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday
Girls Basketball – State Finals
Division 4 – 10:00 a.m.
Division 1 – 12:15 p.m.
Division 3 – 4:00 p.m.
Division 2 – 6:15 p.m.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Sacramento Kings 117, Chicago Bulls 114

Kings 117, Bulls 114 – De’Aaron Fox hits 3 at buzzer, Kings beat Bulls 117-114
De’Aaron Fox hit a 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds left to give the Sacramento Kings a 117-114 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. Fox scored 32 points on 12-for-17 shooting, hitting four 3-pointers. Domantas Sabonis had his second straight triple-double and 11th of the season — finishing with 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists — and Sacramento roared back in the second half with hot 3-point shooting. Malik Monk had 19 points, going 5 for 8 on 3s as the Kings overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to win for the fourth time in five and improve to 9-2 in their last 11. DeMar DeRozan led Chicago with 33 points.

Tonight
Denver Nuggets at Detroit Pistons, 7:00 p.m.
Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks, 8:00 p.m.

NBA – NBA suspends Ja Morant 8 games for video showing gun in club
The NBA has suspended Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant eight games without pay after determining that his holding a firearm at a club in suburban Denver earlier this month was “conduct detrimental to the league.” Morant will miss his sixth game when the Grizzlies play in Miami on Wednesday night. He will miss the next two games and be eligible to return on Monday when Memphis plays Dallas. The games he already missed will count toward the suspension. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver met with Morant in New York before announcing the league’s decision. He called Morant’s conduct “irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous.”

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball
Last Night
NCAA First Four – UD Arena, Dayton, OH
16 Fairleigh Dickinson 84, 16 Texas Southern 61                                                     East Region
11 Arizona State 98, 11 Nevada 73                                                                        West Region

Today
NCAA Tournament First Round
9 West Virginia vs. 8 Maryland, 12:15 p.m.                     South Region
13 Furman vs. 4 Virginia, 12:40 p.m.                               South Region
10 Utah State vs. 7 Missouri, 1:40 p.m.                           South Region
16 Howard vs. 1 Kansas, 2:00 p.m.                                 West Region
16 Texas A&M Corpus Christi vs. 1 Alabama, 2:45 p.m.        South Region
12 Charleston vs. 5 San Diego State, 3:10 p.m.                South Region
15 Princeton vs. 2 Arizona, 4:10 p.m.                              South Region
9 Illinois vs. 8 Arkansas, 4:30 p.m.                                West Region
9 Auburn vs. 8 Iowa, 6:50 p.m.                                      Midwest Region
12 Oral Roberts vs. 5 Duke, 7:10 p.m.                   East Region
15 Colgate vs. 2 Texas, 7:25 p.m.                                   Midwest Region
10 Boise State vs. 7 Northwestern, 7:35 p.m.                   West Region
16 Northern Kentucky vs. 1 Houston, 9:20 p.m.                Midwest Region
13 Louisiana vs. 4 Tennessee, 9:40 p.m.                           East Region
10 Penn State vs. 7 Texas A&M, 9:55 p.m.                        Midwest Region
15 UNC-Ashville vs. 2 UCLA, 10:05 p.m.                          West Region

NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Chicago Blackhawks at Nashville Predators, 8:00 p.m.

MLB – Major League Baseball – Spring Training
Yesterday
Chicago White Sox at San Francisco Giants, Cancelled
Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds, Cancelled
Tigers are off

Today
Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago Cubs, 4:05 p.m.
Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians, 4:05 p.m.
Philadelphia Phillies at Detroit Tigers, 6:05 p.m.

NFL – Rodgers plans to play for Jets in 2023, awaits Packers’ move
Aaron Rodgers says he intends to play for the New York Jets in 2023 after 18 seasons in Green Bay. The four-time NFL MVP quarterback says he is just waiting for the Packers to trade him. Rodgers made his comments Wednesday following days of speculation that his time in Green Bay might be done. The 39-year-old said he believes the Packers want to move on and make 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love their starting quarterback. The Jets sent a contingent that reportedly included owner Woody Johnson, coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas to Rodgers’ home in Southern California last week. Rodgers has been the face of the franchise since Hall of Famer Brett Favre was traded to the Jets in 2008.

NFL – Lions re-sign Cominsky to add to busy free agency week
The Detroit Lions took another step in shaping their roster during an active week in free agency, re-signing defensive end John Cominsky to a two-year deal. Detroit announced the move Wednesday. The Lions kicked off the week by filling perhaps their biggest need, agreeing to a $33 million, three-year contract with cornerback Cameron Sutton. Detroit decided David Montgomery will join D’Andre Swift in the backfield, choosing to sign the former Chicago Bear to an $18 million, three-year deal instead of re-signing Jamaal Williams after his career year.

NASCAR – NASCAR issues largest team fine in history against Hendrick
NASCAR has levied the largest combined fine on one team in series history. Hendrick Motorsports faces a combined $400,000 fines for modifying air-deflecting pieces last weekend at Phoenix Raceway. The organization also receives four-race suspensions for each of its four crew chiefs. Its drivers were docked 100 regular-season points and 10 playoffs points each. Hendrick Motorsports says it is appealing. NASCAR also fined Denny Hamlin $50,000 for intentionally wrecking Ross Chastain on the final lap of Sunday’s race.

AHL – American Hockey League
Tonight
Grand Rapids Griffins at Cleveland Monsters, 7:00 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball – Regionals Finals
Division 1 at DeWitt
East Lansing 56, Battle Creek Central 43

Division 3 at Coloma
Brandywine 58, Centreville 35
-Brandywine will face Pewamo-Westphalia on Tuesday at 7:00 at Portage Central in the Quarterfinals.

Division 4 at Bellevue
Kalamazoo Phoenix 72, Colon 40
-Kalamazoo Phoenix will face Wyoming Tri-Unity on Tuesday at 7:00 at Gull Lake in the Quarterfinals.

Tonight
Girls Basketball – State Semifinals
Division 3 at Michigan State University
Madison Heights Bishop Foley vs. Blissfield, 12:00 p.m.
Hart vs. Hemlock, 2:00 p.m.

Division 4 at Michigan State University
Baraga vs. Fowler, 5:30 p.m.
Maple City Glen Lake vs. Adrian Lenawee Christian, 7:30 p.m.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball
Last Night
NIT – Round 1
Michigan 90, Toledo 80

Michigan 90, Toledo 80 – Bufkin, Baker lead Michigan past Toledo 90-80 in NIT
Kobe Bufkin scored 23 points, Joey Baker added 21 and Michigan beat Toledo 90-80 in the first round of the NIT. Bufkin sank 8 of 13 shots with three 3-pointers for the Wolverines (18-15), who will advance to play Vanderbilt in a second-round match-up Saturday at noon. Bufkin added eight rebounds and five assists. Baker hit 8 of 11 shots, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range. Hunter Dickinson pitched in with 19 points and nine rebounds. Dug McDaniel finished with 16 points and eight assists. Setric Millner Jr. led the Rockets (27-8) with 19 points.

NCAA First Four – UD Arena, Dayton, OH
16 Texas A&M Corpus Christi 75, 16 Southeast Missouri State 71                      South Region
11 Pittsburgh 60, 11 Mississippi State 59                                                     Midwest Region

Tonight
NCAA First Four – UD Arena, Dayton, OH
Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Texas Southern, 6:40 p.m.                                        East Region
Nevada vs. Arizona State, 9:10 p.m.                                                          West Region

NCAAMBKB – March Madness and Michigan State synonymous under Tom Izzo
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is the first coach to earn 25 straight bids to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The seventh-seeded Spartans will face No. 10 Southern California on Friday in Columbus, Ohio, in the East Region. Izzo’s streak breaks the record he shared with former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. The Basketball Hall of Fame coach was praised by the school’s university president for bringing the community together in the days following last month’s shootings on campus that killed three students and hospitalized five students.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Washington Wizards 117, Detroit Pistons 97

Wizards 117, Pistons 97 – Wizards snap 3-game skid with 117-97 rout of Pistons
Bradley Beal scored 36 points, and the Washington Wizards snapped their three-game losing streak with a 117-97 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Playing without Kyle Kuzma, the Wizards still raced out to a 22-point advantage in the first quarter, and although they’ve had issues holding those types of leads this season, the last-place Pistons represented little threat. Killian Hayes led Detroit with 20 points. Washington moved percentage points ahead of Chicago for the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.

Tonight
Sacramento Kings at Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p.m.

NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Nashville Predators 2, Detroit Red Wings 1
Chicago Blackhawks 6, Boston Bruins 3

Predators 2, Red Wings 1 – Predators beat Red Wings 2-1 for 3rd straight victory
Kiefer Sherwood had a goal and an assist, Juuse Saros made 28 saves and the Nashville Predators beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 on Tuesday night. Tommy Novak also scored to help Nashville win its third straight. The Predators were coming off a 4-1-1 trip. Nashville trails Winnipeg by four points in the rush for the Western Conference’s second wild-card berth, with Nashville having played three fewer games. Alex Chiasson scored and Ville Husso made 14 saves for Detroit. The Red Wings have lost two of three.

Blackhawks 6, Bruins 3 – Red-hot Raddysh nets hat trick, Blackhawks top Bruins 6-3
Taylor Raddysh scored three goals and the Chicago Blackhawks beat Boston 6-3, handing the NHL-leading Bruins a second straight regulation loss for the first time this season. Raddysh’s first career hat trick gave him 20 goals this season and six in his last four games. Chicago ended a three-game slide. Boris Katchouk scored a tiebreaking goal at 6:59 of the third period and added two assists for his first three-point game. Joey Anderson had a goal and an assist, and MacKenzie Entwistle also scored for Chicago, which entered tied for last place in the Western Conference.

MLB – Major League Baseball – Spring Training
Yesterday
Detroit Tigers 6, Boston Red Sox 2
Chicago White Sox 5, Oakland A’s 4
Colorado Rockies 5, Chicago Cubs 2

Today
Chicago White Sox at San Francisco Giants, 4:05 p.m.
Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds 9:05 p.m.
Tigers are off

NFL – AP source: Lions add David Montogmery, Emmanuel Moseley
The Detroit Lions and running back David Montgomery have agreed on an $18 million, three-year deal, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Montgomery’s deal includes $11 million in guaranteed money. The Lions also agreed with cornerback Emmanuel Moseley on a $6 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with that deal told the AP. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because the deals can’t be announced until Wednesday. Montgomery ran for 801 yards and five touchdowns last season in his fourth year with the Chicago Bears. He averaged 902 yards per season and 3.9 yards per carry with 26 career TDs.

NFL – Bears agree to deal with Titans DE DeMarcus Walker
The Chicago Bears have added help on the defensive line, agreeing to a deal with former Tennessee Titans defensive end DeMarcus Walker. Walker tweeted that he has an agreement in place with Chicago. The Bears agreed to a two-year contract extension with fullback Khari Blasingame through the 2025 season and a one-year extension with long snapper Patrick Scales. Offensive lineman Dieter Eiselen — an exclusive rights free agent — signed a one-year contract. Walker is coming off his best year, with a career-high seven sacks in his lone season with the Titans. He played for Denver from 2017 to 2020 and Houston in 2021. The Bears sorely needed help on the defensive line after finishing with a league-worst 20 sacks, their lowest total since the 2003 team had 18.

FIFA – FIFA expands 2026 World Cup again to create 104-game program
The expanded World Cup in North America has gotten even more supersized. The governing body of soccer increased the size of the 2026 tournament for a second time. FIFA has created a bigger opening stage with four-team groups in a 104-game schedule. The tournament will now last nearly six weeks in June-July in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The decision adds 24 more games for the 16 host cities. That should further fuel FIFA’s expected record revenue of at least $11 billion through 2026. The 1998 World Cup in France was the first with 32 teams.

USA Soccer – US Soccer: Berhalter eligible to coach after investigation
The U.S. Soccer Federation says Gregg Berhalter remains a candidate to stay on as men’s national team coach after a report by a law firm concluded he did not improperly withhold information about a 1992 domestic violence allegation involving the woman who later became his wife. The report also concluded that Berhalter’s conduct “likely constituted the misdemeanor crime of assault on a female” but that it was an isolated event. He can’t be prosecuted because of the two-year statute of limitations for misdemeanors. The law firm Alston and Bird was retained after the Reyna family reported the 30-year-old incident to the USSF.

Iditarod – Grandson of Iditarod co-founder wins Alaska sled dog race
Ryan Redington has won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which his grandfather helped co-found. Redington’s dog team pulled him down Nome’s main street shortly after noon on Tuesday, sliding him under the iconic burled arch finish line. The 40-year-old Redington will pocket about $50,000 for the win. Redington’s grandfather, Joe Redington Sr., helped start the Iditarod, which had its first race in 1973. Ryan Redington, who is Inupiat, becomes the sixth Alaska Native musher to win the world’s most famous sled dog race. This is first Iditarod victory, but he won the Junior Iditarod in both 1999 and 2000.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Girls Basketball – State Quarterfinals
Division 3 at Bangor
Hart 45, Buchanan 41

Division 4 at Bellevue
Adrian Lenawee Christian 49, Kalamazoo Hackett 36

Tonight
Boys Basketball – Regionals Finals
Division 1 at DeWitt
East Lansing vs. Battle Creek Central, 7:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Coloma
Brandywine vs. Centreville, 7:00 p.m.

Division 4 at Bellevue
Kalamazoo Phoenix vs. Colon, 7:00 p.m.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Detroit Pistons 117, Indiana Pacers 97

Pistons 117, Pacers 97 – Wiseman’s double-double helps Pistons end 11-game skid
James Wiseman had 18 points and 14 rebounds as the Detroit Pistons ended an 11-game losing streak with a 117-97 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night. The Pistons, who hadn’t won since beating San Antonio 138-131 in double overtime on Feb. 10, led by 31 points in the first half and held off an Indiana surge late in the second quarter and early in the third. Cory Joseph led Detroit with 22 points, Jalen Duren put up 12 points and 11 rebounds and Killian Hayes had 10 points and 11 assists. Jordan Nwora had 20 points off the bench for Indiana.

Tonight
Detroit Pistons at Washington Wizards, 7:00 p.m.

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball
Tonight
NIT – Round 1
Toledo at Michigan, 7:00 p.m.         News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 7:00 (following Robotics Rountable on WSJM)

NFL – Agent: Lions agree to $33M, 3-year deal with CB Cam Sutton
The Detroit Lions have addressed pressing needs in free agency by adding standout cornerback Cameron Sutton and retaining a veteran linebacker bolster their lackluster defense. The Lions and Sutton agreed to a three-year contract worth $33 million with $22.5 million guaranteed, agent David Canter told The Associated Press on Monday. Detroit also agreed to a $18.75 million, three-year deal with linebacker Alex Anzalone, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the move had not been announced.  The Lions also kicked off the week tendering exclusive rights free agents: tight ends Shane Zylstra and Brock Wright, linebacker Anthony Pittman, defensive lineman Benito Jones and long snapper Scott Daly.

NFL – Bears get lift at LB, add Edmunds, Edwards
The Chicago Bears made two big additions at linebacker, agreeing to contracts with Buffalo Bills two-time Pro Bowler Tremaine Edmunds and former Philadelphia Eagle T.J. Edwards, two people familiar with the situations said Monday. Edmunds’ deal is worth $72 million over four years with $50 million guaranteed. Edwards is due $19.5 million over three years, with $12 million guaranteed. The Bears also added to their offensive line, agreeing to a three-year, $30 million contract with Tennessee guard Nate Davis, a person familiar with the situation said. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the agreements can’t be announced until the new league year opens on Wednesday.  The Bears agreed Friday to trade the No. 1 overall pick in the draft to Carolina, two people familiar with the deal said. Chicago addressed a big need for a playmaker to help quarterback Justin Fields by acquiring star receiver D.J. Moore from the Panthers along with the No. 9 and No. 61 overall picks in 2023, a first-rounder in 2024 and a second-rounder in 2025.

NFL – Garoppolo heads long list of QBs on move in free agency
Jimmy Garoppolo is headed to Las Vegas for a new start with the Raiders. Sam Darnold is heading West to replace Garoppolo on the San Francisco 49ers’ roster. Mike White, Case Keenum and Jarrett Stidham have new teams, too. And Deshaun Watson is staying in Cleveland, but with a restructured deal with the Browns. Quarterbacks took front and center on Monday as the NFL free agency began with teams allowed to negotiate — and agree to deals — with unrestricted free agents.

NFL – NFL will consider reviewing roughing-the-passer penalties
The NFL’s competition committee will consider making roughing-the-passer penalties and personal-foul penalties subject to video review. The two potential rule changes were among nine the league announced Monday in its 2023 playing rules, bylaw and resolution proposals submitted by clubs. The Los Angeles Rams proposed the change that would allow teams to challenge roughing-the-passer calls. The Detroit Lions proposed the giving teams an opportunity to challenge personal foul calls. The competition committee will consider the rule changes later this month when NFL owners gather in Arizona for their annual meeting.

NCAAWBKB – Michigan State women’s hoops coach Suzy Merchant steps down
Suzy Merchant has stepped down as Michigan State’s women’s basketball coach, citing health concerns. The 53-year-old Merchant had not coached the Spartans since she was in a one-car crash after a medical incident in late January. Six seasons ago, she fainted and collapsed onto the court during a game and doctors later discovered she had a heart abnormality. She announced she was stepping down on Monday. Associate head coach Dean Lockwood filled in for Merchant this season and will serve as the team’s interim coach while the school searches for a new leader for the program.

NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Detroit Red Wings at Nashville Predators, 8:00 p.m.
Boston Bruins at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m.

MLB – Major League Baseball – Spring Training
Yesterday
Baltimore Orioles 11, Detroit Tigers (SS) 7
Tampa Bay Rays 9, Detroit Tigers (SS) 5
Cubs and White Sox were off

Today
Boston Red Sox at Detroit Tigers, 1:05 p.m.
Oakland A’s at Chicago White Sox, 4:05 p.m.
Colorado Rockies at Chicago Cubs, 9:05 p.m.

MLB/WBC – Nicaraguan pitcher signs with MLB’s Tigers after 1 WBC inning
Duque Hebbert turned just one inning of work in the World Baseball Classic into a contract.  The 21-year-old pitcher for Nicaragua entered Monday’s game against the Dominican Republic in the ninth inning and struck out All-Stars Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez and Rafael Devers.  That feat impressed the Detroit Tigers enough to offer Hebbert a minor league contract after the game.  After striking out Soto and Rodríguez to start the inning, Hebbert gave up a double to Manny Machado, who also had a home run in the game. Hebbert struck out Devers on a changeup immediately after.

WBC – U.S. routs Canada in WBC
Mike Trout hit a three-run homer, Lance Lynn threw five impressive innings and the United States used a nine-run first to cruise past Canada 12-1 at the World Baseball Classic. The game was called after seven innings because of the tournament’s 10-run mercy rule. The U.S. improved to 2-1 and bounced back from an 11-5 loss to Mexico on Sunday with its best offensive performance of the tournament. Canada fell to 1-1.

USA Soccer – US Soccer: Berhalter eligible to coach after investigation
The U.S. Soccer Federation says Gregg Berhalter remains a candidate to stay on as men’s national team coach after a report by a law firm concluded he did not improperly withhold information about a 1992 domestic violence allegation involving the woman who later became his wife. The report also concluded that Berhalter’s conduct “likely constituted the misdemeanor crime of assault on a female” but that it was an isolated event. He can’t be prosecuted because of the two-year statute of limitations for misdemeanors. The law firm Alston and Bird was retained after the Reyna family reported the 30-year-old incident to the USSF.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball – Regionals Semifinals
Division 1 at DeWitt
East Lansing 51, Kalamazoo Central 47 – OT
Battle Creek Central 47, Holt 40

Division 2 at Vicksburg
Grand Rapids South Christian 72, Niles 33
Hamilton 63, Marshall 62

Division 3 at Coloma
Brandywine 58, Kalamazoo Hackett 42
Centreville 55, Lawton 40

Division 4 at Bellevue
Kalamazoo Phoenix 78, Eau Claire 68
Colon 57, Lawrence 52

Tonight
Girls Basketball – State Quarterfinals
Division 3 at Bangor
Buchanan vs. Hart, 7:00 p.m.

Division 4 at Bellevue
Kalamazoo Hackett vs. Adrian Lenawee Christian, 7:00 p.m.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball
Yesterday
Big Ten Tournament – United Center, Chicago IL – Championship
Purdue 67, Penn State 65

Purdue 67, Penn State 65 – Edey’s 30 helps No. 5 Purdue hold off Penn State in Big Ten
Zach Edey scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and No. 5 Purdue hung on to beat Penn State 67-65 in the Big Ten Tournament championship game. The Boilermakers led by as much as 17 in the second half but the lead shrunk to one point in the closing seconds. Purdue won its second conference tournament title. Purdue led 66-60 when Penn State’s Myles Dread nailed a 3 with 16 seconds remaining. Evan Mahaffey then stole Brandon Newman’s inbound pass and fed Wynter for a layup that made it a one-point game with six seconds remaining.

NCAAMBKB – March Madness: Alabama, Houston, Kansas, Purdue the 1 seeds
Alabama is the overall top seed in the NCAA Tournament after cruising through the end of a season clouded by a murder case. Kansas, Houston and Purdue grabbed the other top seeds. Action in the 68-team tournament begins Tuesday with two games in the First Four. March Madness gets into full swing Thursday and Friday with 32 games spread over eight cities. The Final Four is set for April 1 and 3 at NRG Stadium in Houston.  Michigan State was able to earn their 25th straight NCAA tournament appearance despite losing their only game in the Big Ten tournament on Friday, the Spartans are the 7th seed in the East Regional and face 10 seed and future Big Ten opponent Southern California on Friday at 12:15 in Columbus, Ohio.   Michigan did not make the NCAA tournament, but the Wolverines did accept an invitation to the NIT, and will play host to Toledo on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.  Notre Dame’s season is over.

NCAAWBKB – South Carolina No. 1 overall seed in women’s NCAA Tournament
South Carolina is six wins away from becoming the 10th women’s basketball team to go undefeated for an entire season, and the Gamecocks will enter the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed. Dawn Staley’s squad has been challenged a few times this year but has always pulled through. The defending national champions will play Norfolk State in the first round of the tournament. The other No. 1 seeds are Indiana, Virginia Tech and Stanford. The tournament begins Wednesday with four First Four games and the full madness starts Friday.   Michigan is the 6th seed in the Greenville 2 regional and will face UNLV in the first round. While Notre Dame is the 3rd seed in the Greenville 1 regional and will face Southern Utah in the first round.

NHL – National Hockey League
Yesterday
Detroit Red Wings 5, Boston Bruins 3

Red Wings 5, Bruins 3 – Red Wings beat Bruins 5-3, a day after losing to NHL’s best
Dylan Larkin scored to help his team take a four-goal lead and the Detroit Red Wings held on to beat the Boston Bruins 5-3. Detroit’s Alex Chiasson broke a scoreless tie midway through the first period on a power play goal. Moritz Seider had a short-handed goal and Larkin scored with an extra skater midway through the second period, putting the Red Wings ahead 3-0.  Adam Erne gave Detroit its four-goal lead late in the second. Ville Husso finished with 31 saves for the Red Wings.  The Red Wings were ahead 4-0 late in the second period and the NHL-best Bruins pulled within a goal midway through the third. Boston pulled backup goaltender Jeremy Swayman with 2:23 left to add an extra skater and Detroit’s Andrew Copp put the puck into the empty net with 23.1 seconds left to seal the win. A day after blowing a 2-0 lead and losing at Boston 3-2, Detroit won for just the second time in nine games.  

MLB – Major League Baseball – Spring Training
Yesterday
Detroit Tigers 8, Minnesota Twins 7
Milwaukee Brewers 5, Chicago Cubs 3
Los Angeles Angels 1, Chicago White Sox 1 – TIE

Today
Detroit Tigers (SS) at Baltimore Orioles, 1:05 p.m.
Detroit Tigers (SS) at Tampa Bay Rays, 1:05 p.m.
Cubs and White Sox are of

NBA – National Basketball Association
Tonight
Indiana Pacers at Detroit Pistons, 7:00 p.m.

NFL – AP sources: Rams trading All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey to Dolphins
Two people with knowledge of the deal say the Miami Dolphins are acquiring All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams. Los Angeles will get Miami’s third-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft and tight end Hunter Long for Ramsey. Both people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither team had announced the deal. Ramsey had 77 tackles and four interceptions during the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning 2021 season. Last season, he had a career-high 88 tackles and four interceptions.

Golf – PGA – Scheffler turns in masterpiece at Sawgrass to win Players
Scottie Scheffler is back to No. 1 in the world thanks to a masterful performance at The Players Championship. Scheffler ran off five straight birdies around the turn at the TPC Sawgrass. He extended his lead to six shots at one point. Scheffler left all the drama to everyone else. He closed with a 69 to become only the third winner at Sawgrass with all four rounds in the 60s. The five-shot win was the largest in 17 years at The Players Championship. Tyrrell Hatton birdied his last five holes for a 65 to finish alone in second place.

NASCAR – Byron wins 2nd straight Cup race, beats Larson at Phoenix
William Byron won his second straight NASCAR Cup Series race, taking advantage of a pair of late cautions to give Hendrick Motorsports a victory in overtime at Phoenix Raceway. Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet got a great start in overtime with two laps left, and just like he did a week earlier at Las Vegas, he overtook teammate Kyle Larson for the win. He also had to hold off Ryan Blaney, who finished second, while Tyler Reddick was third. Byron denied Kevin Harvick a chance to win his 10th race in Phoenix.

AHL – American Hockey League
Yesterday
Grand Rapids Griffins 3, Chicago Wolves 1

NBAGL – NBA “G” League
Yesterday
Mississauga Raptors 121, Grand Rapids Gold 119
Windy City Bulls 112, Mexico City Capitanes 105

MHSAA – Spring Sports officially begin today
While spring doesn’t officially arrive until next week, it has arrived as far as MHSAA is concerned.  Practice for the spring high school athletic season officially begins today.   Even as the winter season still has two weeks to go, schools around the state officially can begin preparation and practice for baseball and softball, track and field, girls soccer, lower Peninsula Girls Tennis, Lower Peninsula Boys Golf, and lacrosse.  The first games will be in about two weeks, although weather and field conditions usually pushes that back a few weeks. 

MHSAA – High School Sports
Tonight
Boys Basketball – Regionals Semifinals
Division 1 at DeWitt
Kalamazoo Central vs. East Lansing, 5:30 p.m.
Holt vs. Battle Creek Central, 7:00 p.m.

Division 2 at Vicksburg
Niles vs. Grand Rapids South Christian, 5:30 p.m.
Marshall vs. Hamilton, 7:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Coloma
Brandywine vs. Kalamazoo Hackett, 5:30 p.m.
Centreville vs. Lawton, 7:00 p.m.

Division 4 at Bellevue
Eau Claire vs. Kalamazoo Phoenix, 5:30 p.m.
Colon vs. Lawrence, 7:00 p.m.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Coaches, we wrapped up the season for St. Joe, Our Lady of the Lake, Lakeshore, Michigan Lutheran, and Benton Harbor Girls Basketball.

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Our WSJM Sports Player of the Week is Brady Baker of Lakeshore High School Wrestling.

Brady is currently a sophomore at Lakeshore and has a 3.796 GPA

During the week. Brady won the MHSAA Division 2 Individual State Championship in Wrestling for the 106 pound weight class.   He went 4-0 on the weekend.  Winning his first round match by pin.  He won in the quarterfinals on a major decision.  In the Semifinals, he won 7-0.  Then he won the Championship match, again by a major decision 9-1.  Brady finished the season with a record of 51-2.

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