KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Chiefs and veteran safety Jimmy Wilson have agreed to terms on a one-year deal, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday night.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Chiefs had not announced the contract.
Wilson spent his first four seasons with the Miami Dolphins, starting 21 games, before spending last season with AFC West-rival San Diego. He started seven of 13 games and made 21 tackles.
The Chiefs were looking for a veteran safety after Tyvon Branch signed with the Arizona Cardinals in free agency and Husain Abdullah announced his retirement earlier in the week.
Kansas City has already used the franchise tag on safety Eric Berry.
HOUSTON – Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self was named the 2015-16 NCAA Division I Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the NABC announced Tuesday.
Selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC, this is the first time Self has been named the organization’s coach of the year, which began naming the honor in 1959. Self will receive his award at the AT&T NABC Guardians of the Game Awards Show on Sunday, April 3, at the Cullen Theater at Wortham Center in Houston at 6:30 p.m. (CDT).
“All that means is you had a group of kids that cared an awful lot and played to a ridiculously high level all year long” Self said of the honor. “Awards appear to be nice, but for me, a hundred times over, I would give any of that up to have those kids experience getting to play in Houston (at the Final Four).”
This is the third organization to name Self its 2015-16 national coach of the year as USA Today and Bleacher Report did the same earlier this month.
Under Self, No. 1 Kansas (33-5, 15-3) won its 12th-straight, 16th Big 12 and NCAA-leading 59th overall regular season title in 2015-16. Kansas also won the Big 12 Postseason Championship, the 2015 Maui Invitational in 2015-16 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight for the sixth time in his 13 seasons at KU.
Kansas’ 33 wins marked the ninth time in school history the Jayhawks have won 33 or more games, including five seasons under Self. Its 12-straight conference titles rank second all-time in NCAA history trailing only UCLA’s 13-straight from 1967-79 under multiple coaches.
Kansas finished No. 1 in the 2015-16 Associated Press poll and holds that spot in the latest USA Today Coaches’ poll released March 14. KU was ranked No. 1 five times by AP and four times by the coaches in 2015-16. Kansas has been ranked seventh or higher in every poll this season.
The Jayhawks posted two winning streaks of 13 games or more in 2015-16: 13 from Nov. 23-Jan. 9, and 17 from Jan. 30-March 26. Additionally, Kansas went 12-4 against nationally-ranked teams in 2015-16, including 4-1 versus top-10 teams. The 12 wins against ranked foes are the most in a season in KU history.
Kansas holds the No. 1 RPI and No. 1 toughest schedule (through games of 3/27), while the Big 12 Conference has the No. 1 RPI among all leagues, in 2015-16.
In 13 seasons at Kansas, Self is 385-83 (82.3 percent) for an average of 29.6 wins per year. Overall, Self is 592-188 (76.0 percent) in 23 seasons as a head coach which has included stints at Oral Roberts (1994-97), Tulsa (1998-2000) and Illinois (2001-03) before coming to Kansas in 2004.
The Al Simpler Stadium will be the site for the Junction City Varsity Invitational Track Meet on Friday.
Field events begin at 3:30 p.m. and the track finals at 4:30 p.m.
Eight schools will enter athletes in the meeting. They include Great Bend, Hays, Junction City, Kansas City Turner, Salina Central, Salina South, Shawnee Heights, and Tonganoxie.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Chiefs signed Charcandrick West to a three-year extension and fellow running back Spencer Ware to a two-year extension Thursday, solidifying their backfield alongside Jamaal Charles.
West and Spencer proved to be a potent change-of-pace duo when Charles went down with a season-ending ACL injury last season. Charles is expected to be ready for the start of the upcoming season, but locking up West and Ware will help take some of the load off the two-time All-Pro.
It also makes running back Knile Davis a potential trade piece.
The quick, elusive West started nine games and ran for 634 yards and four touchdowns last season, while the more physical Ware started two games and ran for 403 yards and six touchdowns.
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) – Cole Hamels pitched five solid innings in his final spring start, and the Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 on Wednesday.
Hamels, who is slated to start on opening day Monday against Seattle, allowed one run and two hits. The left-hander struck out five and walked none.
Royals starter Ian Kennedy was led off the field by trainer Nick Kenney while making warmup tosses in the fourth inning. The preliminary diagnosis was left hamstring tightness.
Kennedy, who signed a $70 million, five-year contract in January, was on the disabled list last April with the San Diego Padres with a left hamstring injury.
Delino DeShields tripled twice and scored two runs for Texas.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – Kansas forward Brannen Greene is skipping his final year of eligibility to enter the NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-7 sharpshooter said in a statement Wednesday he intends to hire an agent, which would preclude him from returning to school. Junior guard Wayne Selden Jr. announced the same plan Tuesday.
Greene averaged just 5.4 points last season, though his size and 3-point ability could make him an intriguing prospect for NBA scouts. He shot 49.2 percent from beyond the arc last season.
Greene and Jayhawks coach Bill Self were frequently at odds during his career, which may have had a role in his decision to leave. He was suspended earlier this season, missing the Maui Invitational.
Self said in a statement that Greene’s skillset “will translate very well at the next level.”
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The first on-field preparations for the 2016 football season begin Wednesday afternoon as Kansas State will hit the field for the first of 14 practices leading up to the Purple/White Spring Game later in April.
Beginning today, K-State will practice each Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday over the next three weeks, culminating with the spring game, which will kick off at 1:10 p.m., on Saturday, April 23, in Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Coming off their sixth-straight bowl berth, the Wildcats are looking to bounce back from a 6-7 season in 2015 but can point to a late-season run that saw them pick up three-straight wins to close the regular season and become bowl eligible.
K-State returns 40 letterwinners and 16 starters from last year’s squad, including six players that have earned All-Big 12 honors during their respective careers in defensive back Dante Barnett, fullback Winston Dimel, defensive tackle Will Geary, linebacker Elijah Lee, place kicker Matthew McCrane and punter Nick Walsh. Additionally, center Dalton Risner is back for his sophomore campaign after earning Freshman All-America accolades in 2015.
After being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this past December, head coach Bill Snyder begins his 25th season at the helm of the Wildcats. Snyder, who ranks first in the FBS in wins among active coaches at their current schools, holds a 193-101-1 record at K-State. He is seven wins away from becoming the 25th coach in FBS history with 200 wins. Snyder’s coaching staff remains intact for a fourth-straight year, making K-State one of only two schools nationally (Northwestern) to have the same 10 full-time coaches on staff since 2013.
Tickets for the 2016 Purple/White Spring Game are on sale for $5 through the K-State Athletics Ticket office online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or at the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum. The game will be shown world-wide on K-StateHD.TV and can be heard across the K-State Sports Network.
Following a nationally-televised matchup at Stanford to kick off the 2016 season on Friday, September 2, the Wildcats kick off their 2016 home slate on Saturday, September 17, against Florida Atlantic and will debut Phase IIIB of the Bill Snyder Family Stadium Master Plan. The remaining five home games are headlined by matchups against a pair of teams that earned bowl berths in 2015 in Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, while two other Big 12 rivals – Texas and Kansas – also come calling to Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
The priority deadline for season-ticket purchases is Friday, April 22. A limited number of single-game tickets go on sale online only on June 20. All six home games are anticipated to sell out quickly and extend the Bill Snyder Family Stadium sellout streak to 33 games.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The World Champion Kansas City Royals are excited to announce great renovations and additions to Kauffman Stadium for the 2016 season. Rivals Sports Bar, the Royals Hall of Fame and Frank White Lounge all will have a new look for the season. In addition, walk-through metal detectors have been added to stadium entrances.
Rivals Sports Bar
During the offseason, the fan-favorite Rivals Sports Bar has been remodeled, giving it more streamlined character. Open-air and spacious, more people will now be able to enjoy Rivals during the game than ever before. The bar, which has been relocated and now offers an indoor/outdoor model, will allow fans inside of Rivals and those on the concourse the opportunity to enjoy the extensive selection of beverages. A new large HD projection screen and twelve 60-inch televisions have been added.
The kitchen will offer a refined sports bar menu featuring items such as a grilled ribeye steak sandwich, signature “Stack’d & Stuff’d” burgers and parmesan garlic street fries. The bar will highlight eight different brands of draft beer and 30 different varieties of packaged beers. Rivals will also offer signature milkshakes and frozen signature cocktails featuring a variety of 360 flavored vodkas.
Royals Hall of Fame
The Royals Hall of Fame will feature many great exhibits from the 2015 Championship season including the World Series Champions trophy. The building received an external facelift, featuring photos from last year. The front glass is now wrapped with an aerial shot of the World Series celebration at Union Station. The photo, which was taken by Roy Inman, is on sale as print versions in the Majestic Team Store and as limited-edition framed pieces in the Royals Authentics store. The north side of the hall of fame that faces the concourse features photos of great moments from the World Series. The Royals Hall of Fame store will sell discounted postseason and World Series gear.
Frank White Lounge
The Frank White Lounge has recently been turned into two suites now available for game rental and can be used together or separately. Previously windowed rooms with outside access, the rooms now have open-air capabilities with windows that slide to the side to give an open-air and more natural feel. The suites, located on the first base side of Loge Level and near Barrel Bar, fit 35 people in one room and 40 in the other.
Gate Entrances
As a part of Major League Baseball’s recommendations for security standards at ballparks, full-body metal detectors have been added to all entrances to Kauffman Stadium. The change is expected to speed up entry for fans. Each person who enters The K will walk through a metal detector and will be asked to remove only keys, phones and wallets from pockets unless otherwise requested. All other security measures remain the same and can be found at www.royals.com.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – Kansas guard Wayne Selden Jr. is skipping his senior season to enter the NBA draft.
Selden and Jayhawks coach Bill Self announced his decision in a statement Tuesday, three days after a season-ending loss to Villanova in the NCAA Tournament. Selden plans to hire representation in the coming weeks, which means he won’t be able to pull his name out of the draft.
Selden averaged 13.8 points this past season, helping the Jayhawks win their 12th consecutive Big 12 championship. He shot 47 percent from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc.
Freshman forward Cheick Diallo has also indicated plans to enter the draft, though he has not hired an agent. That means he could back out of the draft by May 25 and return to school.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Chiefs and veteran safety Jimmy Wilson have agreed to terms on a one-year deal, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday night.
