Archives for February 2021

Back from layoff, No. 3 Michigan tops No. 21 Wisconsin 67-59

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Michigan only needed 20 minutes or so to shake off the rust from a three-week layoff.

Isaiah Livers scored 20 points, Hunter Dickinson had 11 points and 15 rebounds, and the third-ranked Wolverines rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat No. 21 Wisconsin 67-59 on Sunday.

The Wolverines (14-1, 9-1 Big Ten) hadn’t played since a 70-53 victory at Purdue on Jan. 22. Michigan announced the next day it was pausing all athletic activities after several people linked to the athletic department tested positive for a COVID-19 variant that transmits at a higher rate.

“I was outside, I was doing jump-rope, I was doing everything necessary to stay in shape,” Livers said. “A lot of other guys were, too. We all had a program. We all stayed true to it, and obviously (you saw) the outcome. We’re getting back in our rhythm, back in that Michigan basketball rhythm.”

That was apparent down the stretch.

After trailing most of the way, Michigan scored the game’s final eight points. Wisconsin (15-7, 9-6) collected just six points and one basket over the final 7:45.

“We’re fit to play I think any kind of style — a fast-paced game, a slow-paced game, a grind-it-out game, whatever,” said Dickinson, who also had five blocks. “With our depth, I think we have the ability to do so much out there, win in so many different ways.”

Dickinson made numerous big plays with the game on the line.

Michigan trailed 57-56 when Dickinson got the offensive rebound off a missed 3-pointer from Eli Brooks and found Livers, who sank a 3-pointer with 2:48 left. D’Mitrik Trice tied the game by hitting two free throws, but Michigan pulled ahead for good on Dickinson’s putback with 1:46 remaining.

“I think the offensive rebounding, that was the backbreaker today,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. “You can’t give up those types of offensive rebounds at crucial times.”

Trice scored 16 points, Aleem Ford had 15 and Jonathan Davis had 11 for Wisconsin. Michigan’s Franz Wagner had 10 of his 14 points in the second half.

Wisconsin led by as many as 14 in the first half and took a 39-27 lead into the locker room.

Wisconsin shot 53.8% overall and went 5 of 7 from 3-point range in the opening half against a Michigan team that came in holding opponents to 37.4% shooting, third best in Division I. Ford led the way by scoring 11 points in the first 8 1/2 minutes.

But the Badgers shot 7 of 28 in the second half and missed their last 11 3-point attempts.

“What we did in the first half is what we wanted to do in the second half,” Ford said. “But that’s what they did to us. They put us on our heels, made us a bit uncomfortable on the offensive end and they were able to get comfortable on the offensive end themselves.”

Wisconsin led 42-32 early in the second half when Brad Davison drove to the basket and his elbow hit Michigan’s Mike Smith in the face. Michigan coach Juwan Howard showed his displeasure and wanted a flagrant foul called on the play — but the only call the Wolverines got was a technical foul against their bench.

Trice made one of the two ensuing free throws, but the incident fired up Michigan. Smith responded with a three-point play as Michigan began its comeback.

“We’re all family,” Howard said. “It just goes to show you. The family got tested and everybody banded like brothers for their family.”

BIG PICTURE

Michigan: The Wolverines showed their toughness by the way they recovered from a slow start and dominated the game’s final minutes. Michigan beat Wisconsin 77-54 on Jan. 12 and became the first team to sweep a regular-season series from the Badgers since 2017-18, when Michigan State and Nebraska both did it. The Badgers had won their last eight rematch games with teams that beat them earlier in the same season.

Wisconsin: The Badgers needed more from their starting five, who combined to score 10 points and shoot 2 of 16 in the second half. They also didn’t get enough from their big men. Neither 6-foot-11 forward Nate Reuvers nor 6-10 forward Micah Potter had a single rebound.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Michigan figures to stay at No. 3 when the AP Top 25 comes out Monday. Wisconsin could fall a couple of spots.

UP NEXT

Michigan hosts No. 25 Rutgers on Thursday.

Wisconsin hosts No. 15 Iowa on Thursday.

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Follow Steve Megargee at https://twitter.com/stevemegargee

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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Elite programs stuck on the NCAA Tournament bubble

The NCAA Tournament bubble is typically populated with teams from small conferences and middle-of-the-pack big conference schools.

A pandemic that has wreaked havoc on the college basketball season is also reshaping the curve.

Perennial power Duke is currently bubbling. So is North Carolina. Kentucky is so far down it can’t even see the bubble.

“The season hasn’t gone how we wanted it, but we just try to keep our head down and keep working,” Duke sophomore forward Matthew Hurt said. “Every day, don’t take a day off, not try to listen to the outside, the social media, what everyone else says but us.”

Duke entered the season with loaded expectations, as it always does. The Blue Devils had key holdovers from last year’s team and coach Mike Krzyzewski brought in another stellar recruiting class.

Duke’s season has mostly been a dud so far.

The Blue Devils are 8-8 and 6-6 in the ACC after beating North Carolina State on Saturday, a win that ended a three-game losing streak. Duke is No. 66 in the latest NET rankings — up 11 from the previous rankings — and needs a strong finish to the season to avoid missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995.

“You’ve just to go to stay with it,” Krzyzewski said. “That’s what our program’s done and see what happens. Just see what happens if you do that.”

North Carolina fell flat with a chance at a resume-building win on Saturday, scoring 48 points in a loss to No. 9 Virginia. The Tar Heels failed to have a double-figures scorer for the first time since 1966, are 12-7 overall and No. 56 in the NET after going 1-6 in Quadrant 1 games.

Kentucky, at 6-13 and No. 76 in the NET, will likely need to win the SEC tournament to join the field of 68.

ON THE RISE

Kansas (15-7, 9-5 Big 12). Once a blueblood appearing to be in trouble, the Jayhawks have reeled off three straight wins. Kansas has some big potential resume-builders after facing rival Kansas State, with games against No. 7 Texas Tech, No. 13 Texas and No. 2 Baylor to close out the regular season.

UConn (9-5, 6-5 Big East). The Huskies picked up a critical win by beating Xavier 80-72 on Saturday without James Bouknight. UConn is a superb defensive team and if Bouknight is fully healthy, it could make a run to the field of 68.

Rutgers (12-7, 8-7 Big Ten). The Scarlet Knights were poised to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time 1991 before the season was canceled. Rutgers may still have work to do to end the streak this season, but has won five of six after beating Northwestern on Saturday.

Oregon (12-4, 7-3 Pac-12). The Ducks were among the favorites to win the Pac-12, but labored through injuries and two COVID-19 pauses. Oregon finally had its top five scorers on the floor together in a win over Arizona State last week and has won three straight after beating Arizona in Tucson.

FADING HOPES

Arizona (14-7, 8-7 Pac-12). The Wildcats got the season off to a solid start, but the past couple of weeks have been a struggle. Arizona has lost three of four after a last-minute home loss to Oregon on Saturday, but can boost its NCAA Tournament hopes with wins against UCLA and USC this week.

Maryland (10-10, 4-9 Big Ten). The Terps have wins over Rutgers and Wisconsin, but have been inconsistent most of the season. Maryland has lost three of four and could use a strong finish to get off the bubble.

Drake (19-2, 10-2, Missouri Valley). Less than two weeks ago, the Bulldogs joined Gonzaga and Baylor as Division I’s only undefeated teams. Drake then lost at Valparaiso and was blown out by No. 22 Loyola Chicago. A win over the Ramblers in the rematch on Sunday was huge.

Toledo (16-6, 11-3 MAC). A team on the NCAA Tournament can’t really afford consecutive losses late in the season. The Rockets did just that against Ball State and Bowling Green their last two games.

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AP Basketball Writer Aaron Beard in Raleigh, N.C. contributed to this story.

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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/College-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Australia says Google, Facebook close to media pay deals

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Google and Facebook were close to striking “significant commercial deals” to pay Australian media for news ahead of Australia creating world-first laws that would force the digital giants to finance journalism, a minister said Monday.

Parliament is scheduled to consider the draft laws on Tuesday after a Senate committee last week recommended no changes to the proposed regulations that Google and Facebook have condemned as unworkable.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, one of ministers responsible for the legislation, said he had discussions at the weekend with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary Google. Frydenberg had also spoken with Australian news media executives.

“We’ve made real progress, I think, in the last 48 to 72 hours and I think we’re going to see some significant commercial deals which could be of real benefit to the domestic media landscape and see journalists rewarded financially for generating original content, as it should be, and this is a world-leading reform,” Frydenberg told Nine Network television.

“No other country has stepped in like we have. It’s been a difficult process. It’s still ongoing, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But the discussions to date have been very promising indeed,” Frydenberg added.

Frydenberg later told Australian Broadcasting Corp. deals were “very close.”

Google and Facebook did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Google has ramped up its campaign against the proposed law, telling the Senate committee that scrutinized the draft that the platform would likely make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the so-called news media bargaining code were introduced.

Facebook has threatened to block Australians from sharing news if the platform were forced to pay for news.

While the digital giants can afford the likely cost of paying for the Australian news they link to, they are concerned about the international precedent that Australia could set.

Google has faced pressure from authorities elsewhere to pay for news. Last month, it signed a deal with a group of French publishers, paving the way for the company to make digital copyright payments. Under the agreement, Google will negotiate individual licensing deals with newspapers, with payments based on factors such as the amount published daily and monthly internet site traffic.

In Australia, the platforms can make payment deals with media businesses before the code is legislated.

The legislation would create an arbitration panel to make binding decisions on payment in cases where a platform and a news business can’t agree on a price for news.

The panel would usually accept either the platform’s or the publisher’s best offer, and only rarely set a price in between. This should discourage both the platforms and businesses from making unrealistic demands.

Google announced two weeks ago that it had begun paying seven Australian news websites under its own model, News Showcase. Google is paying participating publishers to provide paywalled content to News Showcase users through the model that it launched in October.

Google has reached pay deals with more than 450 publications globally through News Showcase.

Proponents of the Australian government’s position thank the proposed laws for bringing Google to the negotiating table.

GM’s Chevy Bolt SUV joins parade of new US electric vehicles

DETROIT (AP) — Whether people want them or not, automakers are rolling out new electric vehicle models as the industry responds to stricter pollution regulations and calls to reduce emissions to fight climate change.

The latest offering comes from General Motors, which unveiled a Chevrolet Bolt compact SUV on Sunday. It comes with an estimated range per charge of 250 miles (400 kilometers) and a $33,995 starting price tag.

The Bolt Electric Utility Vehicle will go on sale early this summer as a 2022 model. Sales will start with a small number of early versions priced at $43,495.

It will bring the total number of EVs on sale in the U.S. to at least 23, and Edmunds.com expects that figure to reach 30 this year. About 2.5 million electric vehicles were sold worldwide last year. IHS Markit predicts that will increase 70% this year alone.

But the changeover has a long way to go. Fully electric vehicles accounted for less than 2% of U.S. new vehicle sales last year, and Americans continue to spend record amounts on larger gas-powered trucks and SUVs. EVs make up 3% of sales worldwide, GM says.

The new Bolt is part of GM’s pledge to bring 30 new EVs to market worldwide by 2035, and its goal of producing only electric passenger vehicles in 14 years. It will sit taller and have more rear-seat legroom than the current Bolt electric hatchback, which is being updated, and will compete in one of the hottest segments of the U.S. market. Buyers also can opt for GM’s “Super Cruise” partially automated driver-assist system.

IHS Markit analyst Stephanie Brinley said the new SUV is another step toward wider adoption of fully electric vehicles, but it will take many more.

“At least one element of mainstreaming EVs must be consumer choice and availability of usable EVs in a variety of segments and price points,” she said. “Some will have more impact than others, but there isn’t one vehicle alone that can turn the tide.”

The Bolt SUV will come out when GM is at a price disadvantage to most competitors due to a $7,500 federal EV tax credit. The credit is phased out after manufacturers hit 200,000 in electric vehicle sales, and GM and Tesla have both passed that level. A bill from Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee would raise the cap to 600,000 and cut the credit to $7,000.

A White House spokesman said President Joe Biden favors restoring the full tax credit, prioritizing U.S.-made vehicles and targeting middle-class consumers. The spokesman wouldn’t comment on the sales cap.

GM CEO Mary Barra said last week that the company would like to see the credit expanded so “first movers” with the new technology are not penalized.

Chevrolet Marketing Director Steve Majoros said he would love to have the tax credit back to spur sales. He said GM is talking with the Biden administration about the credit.

“For right now we’re very pleased with the price point we have and we’re going to make a good run with it,” Majoros said.

GM said it was able to use economies of scale to cut the price of the updated Bolt hatchback by over $5,000 to $31,995.

For Parkland seniors, high school years bookended by tragedy

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — They were baptized by gunfire their freshman year, bonded as they spent hours hiding under desks, inextricably linked by tragedy. For the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Class of 2021, high school would never be about Friday night football and innocent first kisses.

Seventeen students and staff were killed in the 2018 Valentine’s Day shooting. As the Parkland students struggled to define high school apart from tragedy, their senior year has been punctuated by the coronavirus pandemic, upending their lives once again.

The majority are isolated at home on a computer, their hard-fought normal routines altered and their support systems splintered.

The shooting catapulted some students into the spotlight as they rallied for gun control and landed on the cover of Time magazine. But that was just a sliver of the experience of those in this largely affluent, palm-tree studded suburb. In the shadows, many struggle at times to manage daily life.

Their only full year at Stoneman Douglas was as sophomores – a time tinged with triggers from fire alarms and fireworks. Many students felt retraumatized every time they walked by the now cordoned-off freshman building, the site of the shooting.

Abby Price’s best friend, Alyssa Alhadeff, was killed that day.

“I struggled every morning to wake up and go to the school where I lost so many friends,” the 17-year-old said. “I struggled to find a purpose of just doing simple tasks in life without my best friend by my side.”

The two were inseparable like sisters, playing on the same soccer team and even sharing a birthday. They’d dream about what high school would bring while listening to the Miley Cyrus song “The Climb.”

Price’s family moved to North Carolina for her junior year, hoping for a fresh start. She was terrified of a new school and forging new friendships. But there was also a sense that her life was no longer just her own, that she’d be creating new memories and chasing her dreams for Alyssa — for both of them.

Then the pandemic hit, forcing Price into virtual school and making it difficult to connect with the friends she’d finally made.

“I started to lose myself again,” Price said.

Like millions of students across the country, proms and pep rallies were forgotten in the wake of the pandemic, depriving Price and the Parkland seniors yet again of traditional rites of passage and a normal high school experience.

Even graduation remains in limbo as closure to their high school years bookended by tragedies.

“At the very most, we’re going to have a digital graduation,” senior Ryan Servaites said. “And that’s going to be the ceremonious end to four years of trauma.”

Servaites, who hid under a chair in the auditorium for two hours while texting “I love you” to his parents, has found healing in activism. He joined the student-led March For Our Lives, registered first-time voters in various states and now works on gun-reform policy. He sounds assured and self-confident in his passion for enacting change, but it’s been a process.

“I was trying to be an activist whereas inside I wasn’t very OK with myself,” Servaites said. “I’ve learned to cope. I’ve learned to come to terms with what I’ve gone through.”

Samara Barrack struggled to connect with friends after the shooting, saying some classmates changed as they coped with the tragedy in different ways.

“I saw people that were like, ‘I just need to get high’ or ‘I just need to paint,’” she said. “Neither of those things would help me.”

Barrack was on the cheerleading squad, but the pandemic canceled most events, making it hard to bond over practice and games. Her closest friends go to other schools, but she still long for her senior-year traditions.

“Even if I’m not best friends with those people, it’s an experience,” said Barrack, who instead focused on a part-time job and a new start at the University of Central Florida where she’s enrolled this summer.

Many of the students view college as a sorely needed do-over.

Most Stoneman Douglas graduates go to college, and before the shooting, Aria Siccone never questioned that she would, too.

“People say college experience is the best time in their life, and I wish I could do that. But at the same time I know I wouldn’t be able to handle it,” said 17-year-old Siccone, who avoids malls, movie theaters and other public places. Sometimes she’s jealous of friends who’ve had happy times at other schools. The former honors student fears a nagging voice that says she can’t be successful without college.

“It’s scary to think about because going to college is the normal path, and I just want to have the normal path,” she said.

On the brink of their next step, many of the students are finding the balance between mourning a tragedy and moving forward, for themselves and those who died.

“As children, we are supposed to be the innocent ones; we are supposed to be untouchable,” 18-year-old Servaites said. “Now we’re at this point where we can’t get that childhood we deserve, and as a result, we’re angry, we’re upset, and we’re just trying to do something about it.”

Price isn’t sure what her future will bring. Wherever she goes, her purpose will be Alyssa. Perhaps that’s why she feels drawn back to Florida.

“I find it impossible to figure out what I want to do with my life since school was never my main focus these past four years,” she said. “I most definitely want to go to school in Florida, and see where life takes me.”

Archives for February 2021

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