BASKETBALL
Rhoades headed to Penn State
Penn State is hiring VCU's Mike Rhoades to be its new men's basketball coach, a person involved in the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Rhoades, a Pennsylvania native, will replace Micah Shrewsberry, who was hired away by Notre Dame last week. Shrewsberry, an Indiana native, was at Penn State for two seasons, leading the Nittany Lions to the NCAA Tournament this season. Rhoades, 50, is 176-113 in six seasons as head coach at VCU, including three NCAA Tournament bids. He also spent three seasons at Rice, going 23-12 in the final year with the Owls before returning to VCU.
Cal hires Madsen
California is hiring a former Stanford star to revive its struggling basketball program. The Golden Bears announced Wednesday that Mark Madsen was signed to replace the fired Mark Fox following the worst season in school history. Madsen played at Stanford under Mike Montgomery, who later coached at Cal, from 1996 to 2000 and helped the Cardinal reach the Final Four in 1998. After a nine-year playing career in the NBA that featured two titles as a backup on the Lakers in 2001-02, Madsen went into coaching. Madsen was hired in 2019 to take over Utah Valley State. He posted a 70-51 record in four years with a 28-9 mark this season before losing on Tuesday night in the NIT semifinals to Alabama-Birmingham.
Temple goes with Fisher
Temple named Penn State assistant Adam Fisher just its fifth coach since 1973 on Wednesday. Fisher's goal will be to turn around a program that hasn't made the NCAA Tournament since 2019. Fisher replaces Aaron McKie, who was transferred out of the coaching job earlier this month after four seasons and a 52-56 overall record with no tournament berths. McKie is now a special advisor to the athletic department. Fisher takes over a team in flux with six players in the transfer portal. Temple has yet to find any steady success in the American Athletic Conference.
USF selects Abdur-Rahim
Amir Abdur-Rahim has been hired as the coach at South Florida after leading Kennesaw State to its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament berth this season. USF Director of Athletics Michael Kelly announced the decision on Wednesday. Abdur-Rahim replaces Brian Gregory, who fired on March 10 after after going 79-107 over six seasons. The Bulls were 14-18 this season. Abdur-Rahim led Kennesaw State to a 26-9 record and ASUN Conference regular-season and tournament titles. His older brother, Shareef, was a 13-year NBA veteran and is now the president of the NBA's G League. The Owls became the fastest team, just three years, to ever reach the NCAA Tournament after a one-win season. Kennesaw State, a No. 14 seed, lost 72-67 to No. 3 seed Xavier in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
GOLF
Zhang leads amateur event
Rose Zhang lived up to her billing as the best female amateur in the world by playing bogey-free and handling the par 5s at Champions Retreat on Wednesday for a 6-under 66 to take a one-shot lead in the Augusta National Women's Amateur. For the last two champions, it was a day to forget. Anna Davis, who won last year at age 16, didn't realize she could only lift, clean and place her golf ball in the short grass. Her opening two shots were in light rough, and she picked up the ball to clean off the mud both times. That became a two-shot penalty for each instance. She was told on the fourth hole there likely would be a penalty. Davis made double bogey there. When she finished, her 5 on the opening hole turned into a 9. Her hard-fought 72 -- she was 3 under over the last 14 holes -- turned into a 76. It was worse for Tsubasa Kajitani, the 19-year-old from Japan who won the Augusta National Women's Amateur in 2021. She was not able to return last year. She failed to make a birdie Wednesday and wound up with an 84, leaving her in last place among the 72 players.
BASEBALL
MLB, minors reach deal
Baseball minor leaguers reached a historic initial collective bargaining agreement with Major League Baseball on Wednesday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The sides reached the five-year deal two days before the start of the minor league season and hours after a federal judge gave final approval to a $185 million settlement reached with MLB last May of a lawsuit filed in 2014 alleging violations of federal minimum wage laws. Union staff recommended approval and about 5,500 minor leaguers were expected to vote by today. Minimum salaries will rise from $4,800 to $19,800 at rookie ball, $11,000 to $26,200 at Low Class A, $11,000 to $27,300 at High Class A, $13,800 to $27,300 at Class AA and $17,500 to $45,800 at Class AAA.
MOTOR SPORTS
Suarez fined $50,000
NASCAR fined Daniel Suarez $50,000 on Wednesday for hitting another vehicle on pit road following the race at Circuit of the Americas. The fine was classified as a behavioral penalty and cited "contact with another vehicle on pit road after the race." Suarez hit both his Trackhouse Racing teammate Ross Chastain from behind and then Alex Bowman as the cars returned to pit road following Sunday's race on the road course.
FILE -Stanford forward Mark Madsen, left, and guard David Moseley laugh in the closing minutes of Stanford's 101-50 win over California, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2000, in Stanford, Calif. California is hiring a former Stanford star to revive its struggling basketball program. The Golden Bears have agreed to a contract with Mark Madsen to replace the fired Mark Fox following the worst season in school history. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
Virginia Commonwealth head coach Mike Rhoades gestures to a player during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Pittsburgh in the consolation round of the Legends Classic Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)