Tennessee remained No. 1 for the second consecutive week, though Auburn has closed the gap at No. 2.

Kansas remained solidly entrenched at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll ahead of its showdown with Duke in Las Vegas.

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava has been cleared to play when the sixth-ranked Volunteers face No. 11 Georgia in a game with major College Football Playoff ramifications.

Coach Josh Heupel said No. 6 Tennessee should have quarterback Nico Iamaleava available on Saturday night when the Vols visit 11th-ranked Georgia.

Le’Veon Moss rushed for two touchdowns and No. 14 Texas A&M held off Mississippi State for a 34-24 victory.

Carson Beck passed for a career-high 459 yards with three touchdowns and No. 5 Georgia withstood Mississippi State’s second-half comeback bid for a 41-31 win.

It was a week of upheaval in The Associated Press college football poll.

Arch Manning passed for two touchdowns and ran for another score, and No. 1 Texas got another standout performance from its defense to earn the program’s first Southeastern Conference victory, 35-13 over Mississippi State.

Texas will start Arch Manning at quarterback when the No. 1 Longhorns play Mississippi State on Saturday as Quinn Ewers continues to recover from a strained abdomen.

Manvel grad meets with hometown Texans

Tyson Walker scored 19 points and Michigan State coach Tom Izzo picked up his 20th win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as his ninth-seeded Spartans beat eighth-seeded Mississippi State 69-51.

Johni Broome had 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead No. 12 Auburn to an 86-55 romp over 15th-ranked South Carolina at the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

Cameron Matthews and Josh Hubbard each scored 18 points and ninth-seeded Mississippi State simply dominated fifth-ranked Tennessee 73-56 in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

With most of the major conferences having their tournaments finished, there are a few anxious teams waiting to see if their names will be called for the NCAA Tournament on Sunday when the field is announced.

Assistant coach leaves Texans

It’s been a rough few days for the headliners in the AP Top 25.

South Carolina remains No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 poll and is one of just three unbeaten teams left in women’s college basketball.

Tai’Reon Joseph scored 27 points and blocked Mississippi State’s final shot as Southern closed on a 12-0 run to stun the No. 21 Bulldogs 60-59 on Sunday.

Mississippi State has hired Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby to be its new head coach.

Football Bowl Subdivision newcomers James Madison and Jacksonville State along with five-win Minnesota are bound for bowls because of a shortage of six-win teams.

Mississippi State has fired Zach Arnett after less than one season as head coach, just under a year since he took over the Bulldogs after the tragic passing of Mike Leach from a heart issue.

Malik Nabers set career highs with 13 catches for 239 yards and scored two touchdowns, Jayden Daniels ran for two scores, and No. 14 LSU beat Mississippi State 41-14.

It took the Carolina Panthers until Monday to decide which quarterback they’ll select with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft.

Mississippi State cornerback one of the top defensive prospects.

Ratings for women's college basketball are at their highest levels in years.

Jessika Carter had 22 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, Anastasia Hayes added 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists and Mississippi State beat Illinois 70-56 to begin the NCAA Tournament in a First Four game.

Jamarius Burton made a go-ahead jumper with 10 seconds left and Pitt edged Mississippi State 60-59 in a back-and-forth First Four game that featured 21 lead changes — most in the NCAA Tournament in five years.

Brandon Miller had 18 points and nine rebounds and No. 4 Alabama never trailed in posting a 72-49 victory over Mississippi State in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Friday.

A wide receiver who recently transferred to Georgia from Mississippi State has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges.

Massimo Biscardi made a 27-yard tiebreaking field goal with four seconds left and Marcus Banks returned a fumble 60 yards for a touchdown on the game’s last play as No. 24 Mississippi State rallied to beat Illinois 19-10 in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

There are just 26 games involving ranked teams in the AP men's basketball poll over the next week.

While Leach may have passed away, his witty commentary will live on forever.

Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach is listed in critical condition at a hospital in Jackson.

Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach was hospitalized after “a personal health issue” that happened at his home in Starkville.

New Hall of Famer Sylvester Croom says there has not been enough progress in college football when it comes to the hiring of Black head coaches.

Will Rogers passed for two touchdowns and Mississippi State stopped a potential game-tying 2-point conversion with 1:25 remaining to preserve a 24-22 Egg Bowl win over No. 20 Mississippi.

Portland will host a women’s Final Four for the first time after the NCAA women’s basketball committee chose the Oregon city for the 2030 national semifinals.

Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan and TCU held on to the top four spots in the College Football Playoff rankings.

Georgia added another title to its growing collection, yet didn't see a whole lot of reason to celebrate.

No. 1 Georgia leads an unchanged top five in The Associated Press college football poll.

Stetson Bennett threw for three touchdowns and No. 1 Georgia overcame a first-half surge by Mississippi State for a 45-19 victory.

Bryce Young passed for 249 yards and two touchdowns and No. 6 Alabama’s defense continued its domination of No. 24 Mississippi State in a 30-6 victory.

Chris Rodriguez Jr. rushed for 196 yards and two second-half scores, Will Levis returned from a one-game absence to throw a go-ahead touchdown pass and No. 22 Kentucky topped No. 16 Mississippi State 27-17.

Will Rogers threw for three touchdowns and broke the Southeastern Conference record for career completions, Dillon Johnson rushed for 100 yards and two scores, and No. 23 Mississippi State beat Arkansas 40-17.

The Southeastern Conference was perhaps one blocked kick away from perfection on opening weekend, with a few impressive nonconference wins and some no-brainers.

The NCAA women’s basketball title game will be broadcast on ABC this season for the first time.

UMass has found a leader for its basketball program, hiring Frank Martin as its new coach.

Mississippi State has named Chris Jans its men’s basketball coach a day after he led New Mexico State in the NCAA Tournament's second round.

Dayton, Oklahoma, SMU and Texas A&M have earned top seeds in the National Invitation Tournament.

Quenton Jackson scored 18 points and Texas A&M fended off a late Mississippi State rally to earn a 67-64 victory in a regular season finale.

Kellan Grady scored eight points in overtime, including consecutive 3-pointers about a minute apart, and Sahvir Wheeler added two free throws to lift No. 12 Kentucky over Mississippi State 82-74 on Tuesday night.

South Carolina remains the No. 1 team in The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll despite its first loss of the season.

Snoop Conner ran for two touchdowns and No. 8 Mississippi scored 21 straight points to beat Mississippi State 31-21 on Thursday night in a windy, rainy and cold Egg Bowl.

It's rivalry week across the Southeastern Conference, with plenty of stakes beyond bragging rights.

Bryce Young threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns and No. 5 Alabama rebounded from a loss to rout Mississippi State 49-9 on Saturday night.

Will Rogers threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns and Nathan Pickering sacked Zach Calzada in the end zone late for a safety to lead Mississippi State to a 26-22 win over No. 15 Texas A&M Saturday night.

Jerry Harkness, who led Loyola Chicago to a barrier-breaking national basketball championship and a was civil rights pioneer, has died.

A year after Major League Baseball limited its draft amid the chaos of COVID-19, it’s set to host a revamped event as part of All-Star festivities in Denver.

Will Bednar and Landon Sims combined on a one-hitter, Mississippi State scored early and built on its lead, and the Bulldogs won their first national championship with a 9-0 victory over Vanderbilt in the deciding third game of the College World Series finals.

Houston Harding and Preston Johnson combined on a four-hitter and Mississippi State capitalized on struggling Vanderbilt pitching in a 13-2 victory that forced a third and deciding game in the College World Series finals.

Vanderbilt gave Jack Leiter a big early lead and went on to an 8-2 victory over Mississippi State in Game 1 of the College World Series finals to move within a win of a second straight national championship.

It will be an all-SEC College Word Series finals pitting Vanderbilt against Mississippi State.

Tanner Leggett’s single in the bottom of the ninth inning scored the tiebreaking run, and Mississippi State advanced to the College World Series finals with a 4-3 victory over Texas.

No team’s road to Omaha was as bumpy as Virginia’s.

Memphis players and staff celebrate their win against Mississippi State in an NCAA college basketball championship game in the NIT, Sunday, March 28, 2021, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)FRISCO, Texas – Memphis has its first title with Penny Hardaway as coach, and these young Tigers could be set up for more. “We had a goal of cutting the nets down in the NCAA Tournament, but I do feel like we should’ve been there," sophomore guard Lester Quinones said. Mississippi State (18-15) tied the game at 33-all when Andersson Garcia had a steal at midcourt and drove for a layup to beat the halftime buzzer. STYMIED BULLDOG GUARDSAfter being the first Mississippi State player with three consecutive 20-point postseason games, Stewart was 1-of-10 shooting, and 0-for-5 on 3s.

6 Alabama blew out Mississippi State 85-48 on Friday in an SEC quarterfinal. Alabama followed a couple of small early runs with a 17-0 surge over nearly five minutes for an eventual 43-13 cushion just before halftime. The Tide also swarmed the Bulldogs defensively, scoring 24 points off 14 first-half turnovers and holding them to 30% shooting overall. “To get beat this badly was really, really a bitter pill,” he said. Alabama drained 3s in bunches to put this game away early and protected the ball.

But things began spiraling downward for the Wildcats long before Thursday's disappointing 74-73 setback against Mississippi State that sealed their fate: No NCAA Tournament this year. AdDigesting the reality and enduring a losing season at college basketball's winningest program will make for a long offseason for the Wildcats. “But at the end of the day, you've gotta win games and you've gotta be tough and you've got to play winning basketball. The Wildcats rebounded to win their first three SEC games, only to seesaw between a four-game skid and three-game winning streak. One of the main issues for the Wildcats was putting up points, as Kentucky ranked 200th in Division I in scoring.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, right, passes the ball over Charlotte Hornets center Bismack Biyombo, second from right, as Hornets forward P.J. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Charlotte Hornets are getting set to welcome fans for home games. The Hornets’ reopening plan has been approved by state and county authorities and allows the team to host fans at 15% capacity, approximately 3,000 per game. “We are excited about the opportunity to welcome more fans to our outdoor venues,” the university said in a written statement. AdTuesday night’s game will be the first game with fans in attendance at PPG Paints Arena since last March.

Alabama guard Jahvon Quinerly (13) dribbles past Mississippi State guard Iverson Molinar (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021. 6 Alabama beat Mississippi State 64-59 on Saturday night to clinch its first SEC regular-season championship since 2002. AdKEY STATSQuinerly's effort keyed a huge bench advantage for Alabama, which dominated Mississippi State 36-5. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs had plenty of good looks in the first half that just didn’t fall. They also committed 16 turnovers for just 12 Alabama points, but those loomed large in a tight game.

North Carolina State returned to the No. 2 spot and Texas A&M climbed to third after South Carolina and Louisville — the previous second- and third-ranked teams — lost games. Coach Gary Blair's team can win the Southeastern Conference regular-season title with victories over Alabama on Thursday and South Carolina on Sunday. The Scarlet Knights play at Michigan State and Penn State this week. South Carolina, Mississippi State and Tennessee are the only teams to win the regular-season crown since the Aggies entered the conference in 2012.

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley confers with forward Aliyah Boston on the sideline during the second half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss., Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021. 1 in The Associated Press women's college basketball poll. South Carolina, which originally fell from the top spot after losing to North Carolina State, beat the Huskies last season for the first time in eight tries. Here are other tidbits from the poll:MILESTONEMonday marked the 800th women's college basketball poll in the AP's history. Ad___More AP women's college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Of the nine DFW area athletes who participated in the game Monday night, four can call themselves National Champions after a 52-24 Alabama win. Owens earned an All-State selection by the Texas Associated Press and chose Alabama over Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M. Freshman, RB - Jase McClellan, AledoMcClellan has shown his ability more than once on Alabama's offense and special teams. McClellan helped lead Aledo to a State Title in the 2019-2020 season with a 45-42 win over Fort Bend Marshall. Sanders earned special teams player of the week from the Alabama coaching staff for his play against Tennessee and Arkansas.

4 UConn says it also must reschedule Wednesday’s women’s basketball game against Seton Hall. The Villanova game was postponed because the Wildcats also are dealing with COVID-19 issues within their women’s basketball program. ___Richmond’s men’s basketball team has paused team activities in response to the results from the latest COVID-19 testing and contact tracing. ___The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Tuesday that the Syracuse women’s basketball game at Georgia Tech on Thursday has been postponed. ___The women’s basketball game between No.

Members of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol Honor Guard prepare to raise the new Mississippi State flag at the Capitol in Jackson, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. Tate Reeves signed a law that created the new state flag with magnolia at the center, six months after the state retired the last state flag in the U.S. that included the Confederate battle emblem. The law retiring the old flag also specified that the commission's proposed new flag would go on the Nov. 3 ballot for a yes-or-no vote. The Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups have waved the Confederate battle flag for decades. A few dozen people demonstrated on the south steps of the Mississippi Capitol in support of reviving the old flag.

Members of Tulsa and Mississippi State fight after time runs out in Armed Forces Bowl NCAA college football game Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Jim Cowsert)There was a massive brawl Thursday at the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas. Check out these tweets from accounts reacting to the Armed Forces Bowl brawl:A massive brawl broke out at the end of the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl between Tulsa and Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/zfaq912SWU — ESPN (@espn) December 31, 2020The Armed Forces Bowl between Mississippi State and Tulsa ended in a sidelines-clearing brawl, because of course it did. Just end already, 2020. pic.twitter.com/L61BOllkgu — Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) December 31, 2020

(AP Photo/Jim Cowsert)FORT WORTH, Texas – A bowl victory that increased Mississippi State’s win total this season to four and No. Tulsa outgained Mississippi State in total offense 484 yards to 271, but the Bulldogs got 138 valuable kickoff return yards from Lideatrick “Tulu” Griffin. Mississippi State answered with Rogers’ 13-yard throw to Griffin to go ahead 28-19. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs played in their school-record 11th consecutive bowl thanks to pandemic qualification exemptions. Mississippi State: For all of Leach’s Air Raid offenses at various stops, Rogers was his first true freshman quarterback.

(AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)The Music City Bowl between Missouri and Iowa was canceled Sunday because COVID-19 issues left the Tigers unable to play. The game scheduled for Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee, is the second bowl called off since the postseason lineup was set on Dec. 20, joining the Gasparilla Bowl. Overall, 18 bowl games scheduled to be played this season have been canceled. Missouri is the third Southeastern Conference team that has had to pull out of its bowl game, joining Tennessee and South Carolina. The Music City Bowl seemed to be in danger last week because Iowa paused football activities due to COVID-19 cases, but the Hawkeyes resumed practice this weekend.

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn listens to an official's call during the second half of the team's NCAA college football game against Mississippi State, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, in Starkville, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)Auburn has fired coach Gus Malzahn, who led the Tigers to the national championship game in his first season but could never replicate that success. They were also upset by a struggling South Carolina, which wound up firing coach Will Muschamp during the season. We will begin a search immediately for a coach that can help the Auburn program consistently compete at the highest level.””Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele will be interim coach. Auburn will owe Malzahn a $21.45 million buyout for the remaining four years of a seven-year, $49 million deal.

(AP Photo/Richard Shiro, File)NEW YORK – Dawn Staley already has accomplished so much at South Carolina. The Gamecocks received 29 of the 30 first-place votes in The Associated Press preseason women's Top 25 released Tuesday. Arizona was seventh, the first time since 2004 that the Wildcats have been ranked in the preseason poll. RESPECTING THE CATSNorthwestern was ranked in the preseason poll for the first time since 2015, coming in at No. It's the first time since 2015 that two mid-major teams were ranked in the preseason poll.

The conference on Monday postponed Saturday’s game between No. 20 Auburn and Mississippi State because of positive COVID-19 cases and quarantining within the Bulldogs’ program. 5 Texas A&M paused in-person activities after a player and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a win at South Carolina. LSU is battling an outbreak that could put Saturday's game against No. ___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25.

11 Aggies beat Mississippi State 28-14 on Saturday. Mississippi State (1-3) had little offensive rhythm for the third straight game. Mississippi State had minus-2 yards rushing and just 217 yards of total offense. THE TAKEAWAYThe Aggies continue to put points on the board, scoring 28 or more points for the second straight week. Meanwhile, Leach’s maiden voyage in Starkville continues to take on water in a second straight home loss.

Costello three times as the Razorbacks broke a 20-game SEC losing streak by upsetting No. 16 Mississippi State 21-14 on Saturday night. The Razorbacks allowed plenty of yards but made Mississippi State settle for small chunks. Mississippi State: The loud voices of praise Leach will be quiet this week. Mississippi State will head to Kentucky.

Stetson Bennett threw for 240 yards and a touchdown, solidifying his hold on the quarterback job as No. Postal Service cap in an effort to get noticed, Bennett was never viewed as a starting candidate for the Bulldogs. No matter the time of year, Georgia kept the upper hand with a fourth straight victory over Auburn. Georgia star Richard LeCounte got the boot in the second period for a helmet-to-helmet collision with Auburn receiver Shedrick Jackson. His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/paulnewberry___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Mississippi State quarterback K.J. Costello (3) passes in the first half an NCAA college football game against LSU in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Mississippi State quarterback K.J. Costello (3) passes in the first half an NCAA college football game against LSU in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. Costello passed for an SEC record 623 yards and five touchdowns and the Bulldogs knocked off sixth-ranked LSU 44-34 on Saturday. If we can’t, we are going to have to play more zone.”Four of Costello's touchdown passes covered between 24 and 75 yards. Mississippi State, meanwhile, has made its case to crack the AP Top 25.

FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, file photo, Lane Kiffin speaks to Mississippi fans after being announced as the new head football coach during a introductory press conference in Oxford, Miss. In attendance were his children, daughters Presley Kiffin, 13, left, Landry Kiffin, 15, second from left, and son Knox Kiffin, 10. Mississippi State's Mike Leach and Mississippi's Lane Kiffin brought big names and offensive pedigrees to the Magnolia State. But they drew huge challenges for their debuts, with the Bulldogs visiting defending national champion and No. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

1 South Carolina rolled to its fifth SEC tournament title in six years, blowing out defending champion and ninth-ranked Mississippi State 76-62 on Sunday. 1 overall seed — along with the favorite — in the NCAA Tournament. She had 44 points in the three games as South Carolina won by an average margin of 24 points. South Carolina took control almost immediately, opening a 16-7 lead midway through the first quarter. South Carolina: The Gamecocks are probably the strongest bet in the field that gets announced on March 16 to make the Final Four.