In international baseball action, Venezuela secured its inaugural World Baseball Classic championship by defeating the United States 3-2 in the final matchup held in Miami.
Major NFL news broke as the Denver Broncos completed a significant trade to acquire Pro Bowl wide receiver Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins, according to sources familiar with the transaction who spoke anonymously to The Associated Press since the deal remains unofficial. Miami will receive Denver’s first-round selection (30th overall) in the upcoming draft, plus third and fourth-round picks. The Broncos get Waddle and a fourth-round pick from Miami. The addition gives quarterback Bo Nix another elite target alongside Courtland Sutton, enhancing an aerial attack that ranked 11th league-wide last season.
The World Anti-Doping Agency postponed its decision on potentially banning government officials from major sporting competitions when their nations refuse to pay required fees. Tuesday’s delay means any confrontation with President Donald Trump and other American officials won’t occur until after this summer’s World Cup concludes. WADA’s executive board announced it will revisit the proposed regulation in September, following the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Should the rule pass later this year, it would likely take effect prior to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Iran’s diplomatic mission in Mexico indicated the country is discussing with FIFA the possibility of relocating Iran’s World Cup games from American venues to Mexican sites, following President Trump’s discouragement of the team’s participation due to security worries. FIFA maintains regular communication with Iran’s soccer federation but stated it won’t alter the match schedule released in December. Iranian leadership previously indicated FIFA and the U.S. bear responsibility for team safety during the tournament. When asked about the situation Tuesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded, “We’ll see what FIFA decides.”
Duke’s Cameron Boozer earned unanimous selection to The Associated Press first-team All-America squad in college basketball. Joining the forward were fellow first-year players AJ Dybantsa from BYU and Arkansas’s Darius Acuff Jr., plus Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg and JT Toppin of Texas Tech. Purdue’s Braden Smith led the second team after earning first-team honors last season and honorable mention recognition in 2023-24. Gonzaga’s Graham Ike made the third team, improving from honorable mention status two seasons ago. Arizona placed two players on the honorable mention list with Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries.
Howard University claimed its first NCAA Tournament victory in school history, defeating UMBC 86-83 in First Four action at Dayton, Ohio. Bryce Harris contributed 19 points and 14 rebounds, including a crucial turnaround shot with 13 seconds left that sealed the win. Ose Okojie led the Bison with a career-best 23 points as Howard overcame its previous 0-4 March Madness record and withstood a late UMBC comeback attempt. The 16th-seeded Bison advance to face top-ranked Michigan in Buffalo, New York, in the Midwest Region. The Retrievers got 19 points from Jah’Likah King and 17 from DJ Armstrong Jr.
Alabama basketball’s second-leading scorer Aden Holloway was found with 2.1 pounds of marijuana when authorities arrested him Monday on felony drug charges, court documents revealed Tuesday. The Crimson Tide has suspended Holloway indefinitely and removed him from team activities as they prepare for Friday’s NCAA Tournament matchup against Hofstra. Defense attorney Jason Neff didn’t immediately respond to AP requests for comment but told ESPN the case could require 18 months to navigate Alabama’s court system, potentially derailing Holloway’s collegiate and professional basketball prospects.
In a shocking reversal, appeals judges stripped Senegal of its Africa Cup of Nations title and declared Morocco the champion. The Confederation of African Football announced its appeals panel ruled Senegal “declared to have forfeited the Final,” converting their 1-0 extra-time victory into a 3-0 default loss. The controversial January 18 final in Rabat saw Senegal abandon the field for 15 minutes during stoppage time in protest, while spectators attempted to rush onto the pitch when Morocco received a penalty kick.
Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is set to make his spring training pitching debut Wednesday when the Los Angeles Dodgers face the San Francisco Giants in Glendale, Arizona. Manager Dave Roberts also announced Ohtani will serve as designated hitter Friday against the San Diego Padres as the four-time MVP prepares for the March 26 season opener. Ohtani recently rejoined the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch after Japan’s quarterfinal elimination from the World Baseball Classic, where he batted but didn’t pitch, though he did throw bullpen sessions.
Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl will miss the remainder of the NHL regular season due to what the team described as a lower-body injury. The German forward exited Sunday’s contest against Nashville after taking a hard hit from the Predators’ Ozzy Wiesblatt and couldn’t continue. Team officials haven’t specified the injury’s nature or whether Draisaitl might miss playoff time. The 30-year-old ranks fourth league-wide with 97 points across 65 games this season, having won the Hart Trophy as MVP in 2020 and finished runner-up last year.
