No. 1 overall seed Duke survives 16-seed Siena
GREENVILLE, S.C. — For most of Thursday, Duke looked nothing like the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Not with 16th-seeded Siena challenging the Blue Devils at every turn, determined to pull off the rarest of March Madness upsets. And Duke barely avoided exactly that. The Blue Devils...
Penn State, WPIAL legend Tanisha Wright named Nittany Lions’ women’s basketball coach
Seeking new leadership to stabilize a women’s basketball program which has mostly disappointed for over a decade, Penn State will turn to a program legend and 14-year WNBA veteran. Tanisha Wright, a West Mifflin native, was named coach of the Lady Lions by athletic director Pat Kraft on Thursday. She...
NL East Preview: Phillies bring back core as they try to hold off new-look Mets, banged-up Braves
NEW YORK — Still powered by Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, the Philadelphia Phillies are bringing back mostly the same team that won its second consecutive NL East title last season and made a fourth straight playoff appearance. Time to take yet another run at that elusive World Series championship....
AL West Preview: Cal Raleigh and Mariners look to defend their first division title since 2001
Cal Raleigh and the Seattle Mariners switched things up in the American League West last season, and got as close as they ever have to making a World Series. After winning their first division title since 2001, the Mariners are looking to do it again this year with slugging switch-hitting...
AL Central Preview: Tigers open as favorites while the White Sox try to climb out of the basement
The Detroit Tigers and two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal have their sights set on winning the AL Central for the first time since 2014. The Chicago White Sox would love to simply get out of the division’s basement. As for the AL Central’s other three teams — the...
‘I feel really good about everything’: Penn State’s Drew Allar is at peace with his NFL Draft uncertainty
UNIVERSITY PARK — There’s a world in which Penn State’s pro day would have been in a circus with everyone in town to see Drew Allar, the No. 1 QB in the 2026 NFL Draft. But that is not the world we live in. Instead, Holuba Hall was filled with...
Offensive coordinator Kade Bell, back for Year 3 at Pitt, believes he has all the proper pieces in place
Officially, there is no transfer portal for coaches, but constant movement within their ranks is similar, if not greater, to that of athletes these days in college sports. Akin to having to retain a roster of players at year’s end, head coaches must work to keep their assistants in place....
Pirates option catcher Endy Rodriguez to Triple-A Indianapolis
Endy Rodriguez was in the Opening Day starting lineup for the Pittsburgh Pirates last year as a first baseman. This year, the 25-year-old catcher will start the season in the minors. The Pirates optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday, reducing the roster in their big-league camp to 37 players...
Penguins recall defenseman Ryan Graves from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled defenseman Ryan Graves from a conditioning assignment with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Thursday afternoon. Per the NHL’s media website, Graves remains designated to injured reserve with an undisclosed ailment. After being assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on March 12, Graves appeared in two games for...
Pitt linebacker Kyle Louis among 2 NFL Draft prospects visiting Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers met with two draft prospects on the defensive side of the ball Thursday, including one from just next door. Pitt linebacker Kyle Louis and Illinois defensive lineman James Thompson made predraft visits to the Steelers’ facilities. Pitt shares a South Side practice complex with the Steelers, so...
Tim Benz: Penguins’ version of March Madness doesn’t stop with the end of their grueling road trip
March Madness is a phrase normally associated with college basketball. The NCAA Tournament got going this week with the First Four games in Dayton, and it hits full stride Thursday and Friday across the country with the Round of 64. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been in their own version...
Westmoreland County college notebook: Pitt-Greensburg’s Trent Rozich earns postseason honors
Trent Rozich had a senior season to remember at Pitt-Greensburg. The bulky, 6-foot-6 forward led the Bobcats in points (16.6), rebounds (5.6) and assists (4.3) per game. He was named to the D3Hoops.com All-Region Second Team. This weekend, the AMCC Player of the Year and All-AMCC first team selection will...
Penguins assign forward Avery Hayes to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned rookie forward Avery Hayes to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Thursday morning. A healthy scratch for the past two games, Hayes has appeared in 11 NHL contests this season and scored two goals while averaging 10:37 of ice time per contest. Despite not...
NFL will consider rule change allowing draft pick trades up to 5 years in the future
The Cleveland Browns are proposing a rule change that would allow NFL teams to trade draft picks five years into the future instead of three. The league announced that only two teams submitted proposals that will be considered by owners at the league meetings later this month with the other...
Cup of Joe: This version of Penguins’ Erik Karlsson is downright frightening
CUP OF JOE: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less When asked recently on live television what goes through his head when he sees Nathan MacKinnon coming at him, Erik Karlsson did not hesitate. “Oh (crap), here we go,” he said. Now imagine what opposing players must say when...
Spring Breakout serves as opportunity for Pirates to showcase baseball’s top farm system
When the Pittsburgh Pirates were paired with the Detroit Tigers for the Spring Breakout, it was supposed to showcase baseball’s top two prospects in shortstops Konnor Griffin and Kevin McGonigle. That neither McGonigle nor Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler (ranked No. 15) are on their team’s respective rosters for the MLB...
A year after arriving via trade, Tommy Novak filling important role for PenguinsVideo
For a variety of reasons, things are better for Tommy Novak today than they were one year ago. Like being ambulatory. After the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Novak from the Nashville Predators on March 5, 2025, he didn’t even last two whole games before suffering a stress fracture in his...
First Call: CeeDee Lamb gushes about Mike McCarthy; Steelers make interesting pro day choiceVideo
Thursday’s “First Call” has some opinions on the Aaron Rodgers situation from a Pittsburgh Steelers legend. Top Steelers officials went to a pro day of note in the SEC. One of Mike McCarthy’s former players is heaping praise on his former coach. And Penn State’s Gavin McKenna is getting lots...
U mad, bro?: Steelers’ offseason moves, Radko Gudas’ suspension make readers mad before March MadnessVideo
By the time many of you read this, you’ll already be mad at your own brackets in March Madness. Specifically, you’ll be angry at the advice Mike DeCourcy and I gave you for your Final Four picks. I take responsibility in advance of our inevitable failures. Between now and then,...
Why Penn State’s pro day felt so different to players bound for NFL Draft
For many of Penn State’s pro day participants, the Lasch Building and Holuba Hall look very different than the last time they were there. Gone are the “1-0” graphics and all of the markings with former coach James Franklin’s four core values. And gone are many of the players and...
NCAA Tournament East preview: No. 1 overall seed Duke motivated by last year’s Final Four loss
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Duke enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed and looking to avenge last season’s missed opportunity. The Blue Devils (32-2) were bounced in the Final Four by Houston despite a team that included five future NBA players, including three lottery picks and two players...
NCAA Tournament West preview: Gonzaga still searching for elusive championship
PORTLAND, Ore. — In a season of highs and a few lows, Gonzaga is back in the NCAA Tournament and still looking for that elusive title game breakthrough. The Bulldogs (30-3) are riding 27 straight tournament appearances. They’ve twice made it to the national championship game — in 2017 and...
NCAA Tournament South preview: Houston fights the urge to look ahead to possible Florida rematch
OKLAHOMA CITY — Houston could eventually go back home for a rematch of last season’s national championship game it lost to Florida. The South regional final would be played at the Toyota Center in Houston, just a few miles from the Fertitta Center where the Cougars play their home games....
NCAA Tournament Midwest preview: Fresh off 1st NCAA Tournament win, Howard braces for No. 1 seed Michigan
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Howard coach Kenny Blakeney had a blast the last time he saw Michigan play. Following the Bison’s home win against North Carolina Central on Feb. 21, Blakeney and his family ventured over to Capital One Arena in Washington to catch Michigan’s highly anticipated showdown against Duke, which...
Minor league report: Penguins still seeking playoff berth after losing to RocketVideo
Forward Gabe Klassen scored the only goal for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 5-1 loss to the Laval Rocket at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, on Wednesday. Goaltender Sergei Murashov made 24 saves on 28 shots as his record fell to 21-8-3. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (37-16-5-2, 82 points) remains one point short...
