Top 25 men's and women's basketball roundup
Mamadi Diakite scored 19 points and No. 7 Virginia withstood a big night by Vermont’s Anthony Lamb in a 61-55 victory
LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia remain atop CFP rankings
The College Football Playoff rankings were unchanged at the top this week, with LSU first followed by Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia
All-America Watch: Florida’s Pitts one of nation’s top TEs
Pitts has been crucial to the Gators’ continued success after losing quarterback Feleipe Franks to a season-ending knee injury
Tua Tagovailoa’s prognosis ‘excellent’ after his surgery
Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has had surgery on right hip in Houston; prognosis ‘excellent’
AP Top 25 Reality Check: Separation at top around country
AP Top 25 Reality Check: Separation at top around country
COLUMNS
Metal detectors at the game our kids play: The end of our innocence is here
None of us are immune from the tentacles of violence.
The Lonesome Polecat (state variant): BRACKETOLOGY~! and a whole lot of notables
It's a supersized Polecat, too. It's size XXXXL, baby.
MORE COLLEGE SPORTS
Top 25 men's and women's basketball roundup
Xavier Tillman scored a career-high 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to help No. 3 Michigan State tune up with a 94-46 win over Charleston Southern. The Spartans were without starting forward Aaron Henry.
Alabama star Tagovailoa set for hip surgery
Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is scheduled to have hip surgery in Houston.
Tagovailoa out for season after hip injury vs. Mississippi State
Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will miss the rest of the season after dislocating his right hip in the first half of No. 4 Alabama’s 38-7 victory over Mississippi State
Top 25 roundup
Jake Fromm passed for three touchdowns and No. 5 Georgia’s stingy defense produced two late stops, clinching the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division title with a 21-14 victory over No. 13 Auburn
UCONN FOOTBALL
UConn falls to No. 17 Cincinnati 48-3
No. 17 Cincinnati remained the only unbeaten team in American Athletic play by routing UConn 48-3 on Saturday.
UConn football faces physical challenge at No. 17 Cincinnati
UConn faces one of its biggest challenges of the season on Saturday when they hit the road for an American Athletic Conference game at No. 17 Cincinnati.
UCONN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
UConn women officially announce latest recruiting class
UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma officially announced the signings of five members of the Class or 2024: Paige Bueckers, Aaliyah Edwards, Piath Gabriel, Mir McLean and Nika Muhl.
No. 4 UConn routs Virginia for 96th straight home win
Megan Walker scored 15 of her 19 points in the first half and No. 4 UConn blew out Virginia 83-44 on Tuesday night
Nelson-Ododa leads UConn women to win
The fourth-ranked Huskies were in tune for most of the game in an 83-54 win over Temple.
UConn women open AAC season at Temple
No. 4 UConn enters Sunday’s American Athletic Conference opener at Temple (1 p.m., SNY) at 2-0, but know the Huskies didn’t exactly wow anyone with their performances against California and Vanderbilt.
LOCAL ROUNDUP
Local roundup: Sites, times finalized for CIAC soccer title games
The CIAC has released the sites and times for Saturday's state championship boys' and girls' soccer matches.
Local roundup: CIAC to honor Ledyard, Old Lyme and Stonington
Ledyard, Old Lyme and Stonington were among 20 schools to be selected as CIAC Michaels Achievement Cup exemplary programs on Tuesday.
Local college notes
A weekly look at highlights from our local colleges and former local athletes continuing their careers at schools outside the region:
PROFESSIONAL
Knicks fall to the 76ers
Ben Simmons hit the first 3-pointer of his career and had 18 points and 13 assists to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 109-104 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
Rangers beat Capitals
Artemi Panarin scored twice, Henrik Lundqvist stopped 30 shots, and the New York Rangers beat the short-handed Washington Capitals 4-1 Wednesday night.
ON THE AIR
Basketball
11:30 a.m., ESPN2 — NCAA men: Middle Tennessee State vs. Villanova in Myrtle Beach Invitational from Conway, S.C.
11:30 a.m., ESPNU — NCAA men: Missouri State vs. Miami in Charleston (S.C.) Classic.
2 p.m., ESPN2 — NCAA men: Florida vs. St. Joseph's in Charleston (S.C.) Classic.
2 p.m., ESPNU — NCAA men: Tulane vs. Mississippi State in Myrtle Beach Invitational from Conway, S.C.
4:30 p.m., ESPN2 — NCAA men: Baylor vs. Ohio in Myrtle Beach Invitational from Conway, S.C.
7 p.m., ESPN2 — NCAA men: Georgetown vs. Texas from New York.
7 p.m., ESPNU — NCAA men: Towson vs. Xavier in Charleston (S.C.) Classic.
7 p.m., ESPNews — NCAA men: Utah vs. Coastal Carolina in Myrtle Beach Invitational from Conway, S.C.
8 p.m., TNT — NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at Milwaukee Bucks.
9:30 p.m., ESPN2 — NCAA men: California vs. Duke from New York.
9:30 p.m., ESPNU — NCAA men: UConn vs. Buffalo in Charleston (S.C.) Classic.
10:30 p.m., TNT — NBA: New Orleans Pelicans at Phoenix Suns.
Football
8 p.m., ESPN — NCAA: North Carolina State at Georgia Tech.
8:20 p.m., Ch. 61, NFL Network, WFAN (660-AM) — NFL: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans.
Golf
Noon, Golf Channel — PGA: RSM Classic from St. Simons, Ga.
4 p.m., Golf Channel — LPGA: CME Group Championship from Naples, Fla. (taped today)
2 a.m. (Friday), Golf Channel — European PGA: DP World Tour Championship from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Hockey
7 p.m., NESN — NHL: Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins.