HOT CORNER

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL: 1

Jamir Watkins scored 12 of his career-high 34 points in the final three minutes, Jalen Warley added 18 points and No. 9 seed Florida State pulled away in the second half to beat No. 8 seed Virginia Tech 86-76 in the second round of the ACC Tournament in Washington. Watkins set a program record for points in an ACC Tournament game. He also had 11 rebounds and four steals. Florida State (17-15) advances to play North Carolina in the quarterfinals today.

2 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL:

Louisville fired coach Kenny Payne after going 12-52 in two seasons that marked the worst consecutive finishes in the program’s history. The move came a day after the Cardinals’ 94-85 first-round loss to North Carolina State in the ACC Tournament. Payne, 57, is set to receive an $8 million buyout. Louisville finished 8-24 (3-17 ACC) in a season that was expected to be the start of a climb back after a 4-28 campaign.

3 COLLEGES:

Nebraska AD Trev Alberts has not made a final decision on whether to accept the athletic director’s job at Texas A&M, his top assistant said. Texas A&M was close to hiring Alberts, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations told the AP, but Executive Associate Athletic Director Doug Ewald told the AP that Alberts was still considering the offer as of early Wednesday afternoon. Alberts did not respond to a text message seeking comment.

4 COLLEGE FOOTBALL:

Michigan is finalizing a deal to hire running backs coach Tony Alford from rival Ohio State, a person with direct knowledge of the move told The Associated Press. Alford would replace Mike Hart, the former Wolverines star who had been running backs coach under Jim Harbaugh for three seasons. Michigan coach Sherrone Moore pulled off a bold move in building his first staff after Harbaugh’s return to the NFL, adding one of Ryan Day’s top assistants with the Buckeyes. Harbaugh led the Wolverines to their first national title since 1997, then left to lead the Los Angeles Chargers two months ago.