College Basketball
Ready to dance, the Gators are still the top team
Florida, which finished an unbeaten season in the Southeastern Conference, and Wichita State, which completed an undefeated regular season, are the top two teams in the AP college basketball poll for the third consecutive week.
The Gators (29-2), who received 50 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel Monday, open play in the SEC tournament Friday.
The Shockers (34-0) received the other 15 No. 1 votes. They won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament Sunday, the first team to enter the NCAA tournament without a loss since UNLV in 1991.
UConn, Notre Dame appear to be on collision course
Connecticut stayed No. 1 in The Associated Press poll Monday after three victories last week.
UConn improved to 33-0 after routing Louisville, Cincinnati and Rutgers. The Huskies have won 39 games dating back to last season, the third-longest streak in school history.
Notre Dame remained No. 2 after finishing an undefeated regular season by winning the ACC tournament championship.
College Golf
Skyhawks sit in 11th after two rounds of spring opener
The Fort Lewis College men’s golf team began its spring schedule Monday at the Buffalo Dunes Golf Club in Garden City, Kan.
The Skyhawks shot 599 as a team, which was good for 11th place after the first two rounds at the tournament hosted by Oklahoma Panhandle State University. FLC is just 10 shots behind first place Colorado Mines, the co-hosts of the tournament.
“It was a pretty good first day of the first tournament of the year,” said FLC head coach Bud Andersen. “The course conditions are still playing like winter-time golf, but it was pretty warm with good scoring conditions.”
Not being able to practice much in Durango made it tough on the Skyhawks going into the tournament, Andersen said.
“Our course has only been open a couple of weeks on a limited basis, so we have only been able to work on short game stuff,” he said.
Lucas Laudick posted consecutive rounds of 74 to lead the Skyhawks and put him in 22nd overall. Bryan Schlichter is 29th at 149, and Michael Thomas is in a tie for 36th at 150. Dillon Washburn shot 156, and Josh Woodworth posted 160.
The third round will tee off at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
NFL
Calling it quits: Broncos’ Kuper retires after 8 years
DENVER – Broncos offensive lineman Chris Kuper is retiring after struggling with an ankle injury the last two seasons.
Kuper, a fifth-round pick in Denver’s 2006 draft, started 79 games at guard over eight seasons.
He dislocated his left ankle in the last game of the 2011 regular season, and though he started another seven games after that, he never returned to his previous level.
Kuper was the last player left on the Denver roster from a 2006 draft class that included Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall and Elvis Dumervil.
NHL
General managers review overtime, replay rules
BOCA RATON, Fla. – NHL general managers spent the first day of their three-day meetings discussing overtime and shootouts, expanded video reviews and goalie interference.
There is concern that too many games are being decided in shootouts instead of during the flow of play. Of the 135 of 963 games played through last Saturday, 14 percent were decided in shootouts, and 40 percent that went to overtime were decided in a shootout.
Among the suggested changes being discussed are a 3-on-3 element instead of four skaters apiece in the extra 5-minute session; extending the overtime; or requiring teams to switch ends of the ice, creating a longer change on line changes.
Associated Press
