KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – After their core hit free agency, the Royals are reporting to spring training this month with more questions than answers. Lorenzo Cain has signed elsewhere, but there is still hope that first baseman Eric Hosmer and perhaps third baseman Mike Moustakas will return. Otherwise, look for a lot of fresh faces at Kauffman Stadium this season.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) – Missouri freshman Michael Porter Jr. is hopeful he’ll be cleared to return to practice from lower back surgery next week, providing a boost for a Tigers team aiming to reach the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-10 Porter, the top prep prospect in the country last season, played in only two minutes of the Tigers’ season-opening win over Iowa State before missing the rest of the season following surgery in November.
AMES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa State quarterback Kyle Kempt has been granted a sixth season of eligibility by the NCAA. The Cyclones announced the NCAA’s decision, saying the governing body granted Kempt an extension of eligibility after considering the totality of the circumstances surrounding his transfer from Oregon State and Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. Kempt, a former walk-on, became an unlikely starter for the Cyclones midway through last season after Jacob Park left the team.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – The announcement that Texas guard Andrew Jones was diagnosed with leukemia prompted concern and well wishes from across college basketball. Jones is now starting to offer glimpses of his recovery to say “thank you” for the emotional and financial support that has poured in while he undergoes treatment. Jones this week used social media to post a short video of himself shooting basketballs while wearing a surgical mask.
National Headlines
GANGNEUNG, South Korea (AP) – The Korean women’s hockey team, the first in Olympic history to combine players from North and South, has lost to Switzerland in its debut game, 8-0. The Koreans were outshot by the 2014 bronze medalists 52-8. But the poor showing didn’t stop the sellout crowd from cheering throughout much of the game. After the game, fans unfurled a large banner reading “We are one.”
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) – Germany’s Andreas Wellinger has won the gold medal in normal hill ski jumping, on a day of frigid temperatures and windy conditions. The 22-year-old nailed a jump of 113.5 meters to secure the gold with 259.3 points. Norwegians Johann Andre Forfang and Robert Johansson took silver and bronze.
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Washington Capitals have re-signed center Lars Eller to a $17.5 million, five-year contract extension. Eller will count $3.5 million against the salary cap through the 2022-23 season. The 28-year-old Dane has 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points in 53 games this season, three points shy of his career high. In 576 NHL games with the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens and Capitals, Eller has 96 goals and 113 assists.
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) – Pyeongchang Olympic organizers are investigating a possible attack on their internet and Wi-Fi systems that took place about 45 minutes before the opening ceremony. Organizing committee spokeswoman Nancy Park says the defense ministry and a cybersecurity team are investigating the outage that occurred Friday night. She said there was “some issue with our internal system” but it didn’t affect the opening ceremony.
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) – Former FIFA (FEE’-fuh) vice president Chung Mong-joon has won his appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport to be allowed to work again in soccer. The court says any violations were committed to “a far lesser degree” than FIFA’s ethics committee had judged. It reduced the South Korean official’s five-year sanction for “improper lobbying” during the 2022 World Cup bidding process, and not fully cooperating in a subsequent investigation of all candidates, to 15 months.
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (18) Rhode Island 72 Davidson 59