LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins made official Monday what he’s been telling folks all along: He’s headed to the NBA after his only season with the Jayhawks. 

The 6-foot-8 forward, who was voted second-team All-America earlier in the day, is expected to go in the top three picks in the June draft. Some believe he could go first overall.

Wiggins was the top-rated recruit when he arrived at Kansas, and his brief career was a bit of a roller coaster. He struggled early in the season, caught fire midway through, and then flamed out when it mattered most in an NCAA tournament loss to Stanford.

Wiggins only scored four points on 1-for-6 shooting in the third-round defeat. Afterward, he said that he let his team down with his poor performance.

DETROIT (AP) – Alex Gonzalez drove in the winning run in his Detroit debut, lining a single to left off Greg Holland in the ninth inning that gave the Tigers a 4-3 opening-day victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday.

Acquired by Detroit following an injury to shortstop Jose Iglesias, Gonzalez made a costly error in Kansas City’s three-run fourth but made up for that with a tying triple in the seventh. He then singled with men on first and third in the ninth.

Joe Nathan (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth in his first appearance for the Tigers.

Wade Davis (0-1) allowed a one-out walk to Alex Avila and a single to Nick Castellanos in the ninth. Holland couldn’t escape the jam.

NEW YORK (AP) – Shabazz Napier scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half, and UConn beat Michigan State 60-54 to return to the Final Four a year after the Huskies were barred from the NCAA tournament.

Napier hit three huge free throws with 37.6 seconds left in the East Regional final at Madison Square Garden to carry UConn to the Final Four just as Kemba Walker did in Napier’s freshman year.

The Huskies (30-8) rallied from a nine-point second-half deficit to become the first No. 7 seed to reach the Final Four since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

Fourth-seeded Michigan State’s seniors become the first four-year players recruited by Tom Izzo to fail to reach the Final Four. Gary Harris led the Spartans (29-9) with 22 points.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Aaron Harrison made a 3-pointer from NBA range with 2.3 seconds left Sunday to lift Kentucky to a 75-72 win over Michigan and a trip to the Final Four.

Harrison, one of five freshmen on eighth-seeded Kentucky’s starting lineup, elevated over Caris LeVert, and drained it. He scored all 12 of his points over the last 8:05.

Nik Stauskas missed a heave at the buzzer and the Wildcats (28-10) rushed off the bench and dogpiled Harrison at midcourt.

This will be Kentucky’s 16th trip to the Final Four and it marks the first time an all-freshman starting lineup has made it there since the Fab Five took Michigan in 1992.

Kentucky plays Wisconsin Saturday in Texas.

Kentucky defeated Kansas State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

DETROIT (AP) – New manager Brad Ausmus and the Detroit Tigers begin their pursuit of a fourth straight AL Central title Monday against the Kansas City Royals.

Justin Verlander will make his seventh consecutive opening day start, and Detroit will try to move past a difficult spring training in which three significant players went down with major injuries.

Kansas City will send right-hander James Shields to the mound. The Royals are coming off an 86-win season – the first time they’d finished above .500 in a decade. They’ll need to take another step forward to displace Detroit atop the division.

Ausmus took over as Detroit’s manager after Jim Leyland stepped down at the end of last season.

The game Monday can be heard on KJCK AM 1420 , The Talk of JC. The first pitch is scheduled at 12:08 p.m. and the pregame broadcast begins at 11:30 a.m.

As fans gear up for K-State’s 2014 Purple / White spring game on April 26, activities will kick off the day before as the athletics department will host the 30th annual Powercat Auction on Friday, April 25.

The auction will be held at Bramlage Coliseum with doors to the arena opening at 5 p.m. Silent auctions will begin immediately and wrap up at 6:45 p.m.  There will be a buffet dinner served from 6:15 until 7:45 p.m., and the live auction portion of the event will begin at 7:45 p.m.

The Powercat Auction, is the athletic department’s single largest fundraising event. It supports the Ahearn Fund, K-State’s National Fund for Student-Athlete Excellence.

The auction will feature more than 100 live and silent auction items, along with a vacation getaway raffle, which will take place on the concourse level of Bramlage Coliseum.

All seating for the 2014 Powercat Auction is available to members of the Ahearn Fund at the Powercat Club level and above; tickets are reserved and limited to the first 500 to register.

Table sponsorships are $1,250.

Tickets are $150.

For more information on reserving a table sponsorship or to buy tickets, contact the Ahearn Fund Office at 1-888-232-9074 or ahearnfund@k-statesports.com.

Kansas State women’s basketball coach Jeff Mittie has named former TCU associate head coach Brian Ostermann to the same position with the Wildcats.

“Brian was instrumental in designing and implementing our game plans in the Big 12. He brings vast experience as a head coach and Division I assistant as well as terrific Midwest roots and connections.

According to k-statesports.com Ostermann served as an associate head coach at TCU for six seasons and compiled a record of 107-81, which included four postseason appearances — two NCAA Tournaments and twoWNITs. In addition to his coaching duties at TCU, Ostermann was also responsible for scheduling, academic mentoring, recruiting evaluation, and game plan preparation and development.

Osterman ran the Missouri-State – West Plains men’s basketball program for four seasons from 2004-05 through 2007-08, where he posted a record of 178-107. He also spent five seasons at the head men’s coach at Colby ( Kan. ) Community College where he posted a 95-61 record.

The Kansas State Wildcats will conduct 14 spring football practices. In addition the Purple / White Spring Game will be played on Saturday, April 26.

Practices will begin April 2.

The Spring Game will kick off at 1:10 p.m. on April 26 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

The Wildcats will open the 2014 season by hosting Stephen F. Austin Saturday August 30.

 

 

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) – James Shields gave up seven runs in the first inning Wednesday before settling down to throw three scoreless ones in his final start before opening day in the Kansas City Royals’ 9-5 loss to the San Diego Padres.

Shields gave up six hits, walked one and hit a batter as the Padres sent 11 to the plate in the first. Shields allowed only one hit after that and finished with a 4.74 spring ERA.

Padres starter Ian Kennedy gave up solo home runs to Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez on consecutive pitches in a two-inning stint that included three runs and six hits.

Perez left in the third after he has hit in the head by Johnny Barbato’s curveball. A team spokesman said he didn’t sustain a concussion.

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) – Kansas City Royals reliever Louis Coleman probably will start the season on the disabled list because of a bone bruise on his right middle finger.

Coleman gave up six runs, three hits and three walks in one-third of an inning Monday against San Francisco. He has had the injury since early in spring training.

Coleman and second baseman Omar Infante, who has a bone spur in his right elbow, were to be left in Surprise when the Brewers head to Milwaukee later Wednesday for a pair of exhibition games.