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INSIDER

MIKE WHITE

Police contacted after Ohio State's Liddell receives threats

Liddell received following the Buckeyes' NCAA Tournament loss on Friday. Ohio State associate athletic director for communications Dan Wallenberg told The Associated Press he contacted police on Saturday morning about the threats Liddell received after the second-seeded Buckeyes were upset by No. Liddell, who had 23 points and 14 rebounds in the game, revealed on his Twitter feed he received threatening messages. Liddell, while not from or representative of Ohio State fans, are vile, dangerous and reflect the worst of humanity," Holtmann posted on Twitter. AdSister Jean taught at Chicago's Mundelein College when Loyola beat Illinois in the 1963 NCAA Tournament.

The Latest: Every seed except 16 has a team in second round

In 2016, 2013 and 1991, seed lines 1-15 all had a team reach the second round. UMBC in 2018 is still the only 16 seed to make the round of 32, but no 15 seed won that year. Ad___8:00 p.m.Don’t expect a track meet when Villanova and North Texas play in the second round of the South Region on Sunday. The matchup between the fifth-seeded Wildcats and 13th-seeded Mean Green features two of the most deliberately paced teams in the NCAA Tournament. UNC Wilmington’s John Goldsberry holds the record for most 3-point attempts without a miss in an NCAA Tournament game.

Short-handed Florida outlasts Virginia Tech in NCAA opener

10 seed Virginia Tech 75-70 in a first-round game on Friday. He finished with 30 points and scored the final 12 of regulation for Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech hit 5 of its first 10 3-point attempts, but made just two the rest of the way. Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said he considered keeping Aluma on the bench to start overtime. AdHINKLE'S LIGHTThe first NCAA Tournament game at Hinkle Fieldhouse in 81 years was rife with history, nostalgia and ... sunlight.

Short-handed Florida stuns No. 6 Tennessee 75-49

Florida guard Tre Mann (1) and Tennessee guard Davonte Gaines (0) compete for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 19. 2021, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Stamey)GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Noah Locke scored 14 points, Tyree Appleby added 13 and short-handed Florida stunned No. 6 Tennessee 75-49 on Tuesday night. Guard Scottie Lewis (COVID-19 protocols) and forward Colin Castleton (ankle) missed the game. But forward Omar Payne, starting for the first time in nearly a year, finished with nine points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots for Florida (7-4, 4-3 Southeastern Conference).

Diary shows how quest for love landed Navy vet in Iran jail

The Navy veteran kept a handwritten document detailing the nearly two years he spent imprisoned in Iran. The love interest he'd gone to visit had stopped seeing him and he'd idled away hours in his hotel room by himself. “I don’t want the government of Iran to think that, 'Oh, Mike White's out of here, he's going away, he's going to be quiet,'" he said in a recent interview. White ultimately faced various charges, including posting private images, collaborating with the U.S. against Iran and disrespecting Iran's supreme leader. He writes in his manuscript that he has indeed made social media posts about Iran but denies having disparaged Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Florida's Johnson rejoins team, works as coach amid recovery

(AP Photo/Matt Stamey, File)GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida forward Keyontae Johnson is back with the team and working as a coach in practice, coach Mike White said Monday. Johnson was released from the hospital last week, 10 days after collapsing on the court at Florida State and needing emergency medical attention. “Our guys are ready to move forward, not move on from Keyontae, but move forward with him," White said. Witnesses said Johnson was standing near midcourt and suddenly fell forward and landed on his face. White said Johnson already has mentioned that he's “ready to roll” and wants to practice, but doctors will decide when and if that happens this season.

Florida's Johnson 'following simple commands' after collapse

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida forward Keyontae Johnson was “following simple commands” Monday after being transferred from Tallahassee Memorial to UF Health in Gainesville, the school said. The Gators announced Johnson was in critical but stable condition less than an hour after his ordeal. Johnson’s teammates and coaches were visibly distraught before the game resumed. The Seminoles outscored Florida 80-60 after Johnson’s collapse and won 83-71 for their seventh straight victory in the series. Like many of his Florida teammates, Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 during the summer.

Florida's Johnson remains in critical, stable condition

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida forward Keyontae Johnson remained in critical but stable condition at a hospital, the team reported Sunday, one day after he collapsed on the court during a game at Florida State. There was no change in Johnson's condition from Saturday, when he was also critical but stable at Tallahassee Memorial. The Gators announced that Johnson was in critical and stable condition less than an hour after his ordeal. The American Hospital Association defines patients in critical but stable condition as having “vital signs that are unstable and not within normal limits. Like many of his Florida teammates, Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 during the summer.

Florida's Johnson hospitalized after collapsing on court

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida standout forward Keyontae Johnson, the Southeastern Conference's preseason player of the year, collapsed coming out of a timeout against rival Florida State and needed emergency medical attention. Johnson was taken off the floor on a stretcher and rushed to Tallahassee Memorial for evaluation. Johnson had just dunked in transition before he fell to the floor as the team broke its huddle. Several Gators were in tears and a couple buried their faces in towels as coach Mike White gathered his team to say a prayer. Johnson, a 6-foot-5 junior from Norfolk, Virginia, averaged a team-high 14 points last season to go along with 7.1 rebounds.

Freeman, Miller, Thomas among big NFL names still unsigned

Freeman is still unsigned as Week 1 of the NFL season begins. Several familiar names and players on roster bubbles took turns on the unemployment line with some finding new jobs. Adrian Peterson was cut last week by Washington, but quickly landed in Detroit. Here's a look at notable available players at each position:QUARTERBACKSBlake Bortles, Cody Kessler, DeShone Kizer, Trevor Siemian, Drew Stanton. WIDE RECEIVERSAntonio Brown, Dez Bryant, Mohamed Sanu, Hakeem Butler, Quincy Enunwa, Chester Rogers, Demaryius Thomas, Jermaine Kearse, Ryan Grant, Jordan Matthews, Laquon Treadwell.

Teams sending QBs packing in final cuts despite pandemic

The theory that NFL teams would go with three quarterbacks to start the pandemic-impacted season took a hit Saturday. Lots of third-stringers were sent packing as the 32 teams got down to the 53-man limit. "The most important thing is to kind of move forward and not look back, Dolphins coach Brian Flores said. Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder, the final player taken in April's draft, is on the roster. As a child growing up in Georgia, it was always my dream to play in the NFL, Watson wrote on social media.

Blackshear gets double-double in No. 6 Florida debut

Florida forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. looks to pass around North Florida forward Wajid Aminu during the second half, Nov. 5, 2019, in Gainesville, Florida. GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Kerry Blackshear Jr.'s Florida debut came in front of his mom and several other family members. 6 Florida opened its most anticipated season in more than a decade with a 74-59 victory over North Florida on Tuesday night. Blackshear and Florida should get a better test against rival Florida State on Sunday. When you have those three things, you can do really, really special things for your team."