Sports
UCF, Nebraska aim to go out winners in Crown final
Mar 11, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; UCF Knights guard Darius Johnson (3) shoots the ball during the second half against the Utah Utes at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images Darius Johnson has been on a mission, and his next task is helping UCF win a championship.
Johnson has scored 73 total points over the past two contests. He’s aiming to deliver another high-octane outing when the Knights (20-16) face Nebraska (20-14) on Sunday in the College Basketball Crown championship game at Las Vegas.
Johnson poured in a career-best 42 points in Saturday’s 104-98 overtime victory over Villanova in the semifinals. Two days earlier, he had 31 points in an 88-80 quarterfinal victory over Cincinnati.
Overall, the senior guard is averaging 29.3 points in UCF’s three wins during the tournament. But he’ll trade each and every one of those for a banner.
“We’re playing for a championship,” Johnson said. “… I want to go out the right way. We want to do something special before we all go our separate ways.”
Johnson was a big-time spark in the win over Villanova. He knocked down the tying 3-point basket with 7.6 seconds left in regulation and then scored 10 points in overtime.
There was zero chance of Johnson passing the ball late in regulation before hitting the big basket.
“I was wide open for the stepback three, which is one of my go-to shots,” Johnson said, “so I was able to capitalize on that.”
Nebraska reached the title game with a solid 79-69 victory over Boise State on Saturday.
The Cornhuskers made a season-high 12 3-pointers while shooting a season-best 63.2 percent from 3-point range.
Juwan Gary was 4-for-4 from 3-point range — tying his career high for makes — while producing 21 points and nine rebounds.
“Just found my rhythm,” Gary explained. “I’m trying not to force anything. I’m a senior and this is my last opportunity to play with these guys. Just got to go out there and play as hard as I can.”
Nebraska lost its final five regular-season games so being in the Crown tournament has allowed it to end the campaign on a good note.
The Cornhuskers beat Arizona State in the first round and Georgetown in the quarterfinals before dispatching Boise State.
“We might not be in March Madness but we’re still playing,” Gary said. “We want to go out there and leave our stamp out there. You can’t get a better feeling than to win a championship on Sunday.”
Brice Williams had 14 points against Boise State but is averaging 24 for the tournament. He scored 30 and 28 the first two games.
The winner of the title game receives $300,000 in NIL money. The runner-up receives $100,000.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: RB David Montgomery 'wants out' of Detroit
Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) looks on before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Lions running back David Montgomery “wants out” of Detroit after three seasons, ESPN reported on Sunday.
Montgomery, however, immediately appeared to refute the report on X, posting: “Damn, Dmo told you that?”
The ESPN report claims the Lions would want “a decent Day 3 pick (possibly a fifth-rounder)” in the 2026 NFL Draft in return for Montgomery, who turns 29 in June and is owed $6 million next season.
The report follows general manager Brad Holmes’ remarks after the season about Montgomery being unhappy with his playing time in 2025. Sharing a backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs, Montgomery rushed for a career-low 716 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games (no starts).
“Those are conversations that we’re going to have to have because I’ve got a lot of respect for that player,” Holmes said of Montgomery in January. “He deserves to be in a situation where his skillset can be utilized, and so yeah would love for it to be here, but if it can’t be here then you’d just love to see where could work out best for him.”
At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Holmes said the situation with Montgomery is “fluid.” He signed a two-year extension during the 2024 season that runs through the end of the 2027 campaign.
“Yeah, I have been in touch with David’s agent, and his representation,” Holmes revealed. “Obviously, we love David, he’s a great player, we love to have him, you know, kind of want to put last year in the rear view, and just move forward. But, obviously, a player has to want to be at a certain place as well. The conversations are still fluid, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Montgomery has rushed for 2,506 yards and 33 touchdowns in 45 games (28 starts) in three seasons with Detroit (2023-25). He has 76 catches for 650 yards in that span.
He began his career with the NFC North rival Chicago Bears, who drafted him in the third round in 2019. Montgomery rushed for 3,609 yards and 26 scores in 60 games (51 starts) with the Bears (2019-22).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees LHP Ryan Yarbrough joins U.S. roster for WBC
Jun 18, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Ryan Yarbrough (33) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images New York Yankees left-hander Ryan Yarbrough was added to the Team USA roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic on Sunday.
The 34-year-old reliever replaces Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan, who is dealing with low back tightness. Ryan moves into the designated pitcher pool, meaning he is eligible for a call-up after each round of the WBC.
Yarbrough went 3-1 with a 4.36 ERA and one save in 19 games (eight starts) during his first season with the Yankees in 2025, striking out 55 batters and walking 19 in 64 innings.
Ryan Yarbrough has been added to our roster for the World Baseball Classic!#ForGlory???? pic.twitter.com/RrtKJQ20gz
— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) March 1, 2026
Team USA will play its first game of the 2026 WBC on Friday night, meeting Brazil in a Pool B contest in Houston.
Yarbrough has a career record of 56-41 with a 4.22 ERA and four saves in 215 games (76 starts) with the Tampa Bay Rays (2018-22), Kansas City Royals (2023), Los Angeles Dodgers (2023-24), Toronto Blue Jays (2024) and Yankees. The side-arming southpaw signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal in November to return to New York in 2026.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ex-pitcher Dan Serafini gets life sentence for '21 murder
Dan Serafini (file photo) pitched in MLB with seven teams. He was convited of first-degree murder. Former major league pitcher Dan Serafini was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Friday for the 2021 shootings of his in-laws in North Lake Tahoe, Calif.
Serafini, 52, was convicted in July of the first-degree murder of father-in-law Gary Spohr and the attempted first-degree murder of mother-in-law Wendy Wood during a burglary. Spohr, 70, died from a single gunshot and Wood, then 68, survived but died by suicide the following year.
In the courtroom on Friday in Auburn, Calif., Placer County prosecutor Morgan Gire described Spohr and Wood as loving grandparents.
“The impact of this attack has extended far beyond the immediate victims, deeply affecting family members and the broader community, and highlighting the lasting harm caused by deliberate violence,” Gire said.
Serafini, who pitched for six MLB teams from 1996 to 2007, addressed the court and maintained his innocence. He said he was out partying with his wife, Erin Spohr, at the time of the shooting and referred to himself as a “broken, imperfect man that makes mistakes,” according to MyNews4.
The Minnesota Twins selected Serafini, a native of the San Francisco area, with the No. 26 overall pick in the 1992 MLB Draft. He made his debut in 1996 and went on to appear in 104 games (33 starts) with the Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies before his retirement in 2007.
He had a 15-16 record with a 6.04 ERA and one save. He threw 263 2/3 innings and struck out 127 batters.
–Field Level Media
Report: RB David Montgomery 'wants out' of Detroit
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