Villanova fires Neptune after 3 years

Villanova fired Kyle Neptune on Saturday after a three-year run where he succeeded Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright and failed to ever make the NCAA Tournament. Neptune went 54-47 overall and 31-29 in the Big East in three seasons with the Wildcats, including a 19-14 record this season. The Wildcats — who won two national championships under Wright — lost to UConn on Thursday night in a Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinal at Madison Square Garden. It was the first major decision made by Eric Roedl, a Villanova alumnus hired earlier this season as the athletic director. “Since coming to Villanova, I have been struck by Kyle’s tireless work ethic and his dedication to the student-athletes he served,” Roedl said in a statement. “We are grateful to Kyle for his long service to Villanova and his mentorship to the many outstanding young men he has coached.” The 40-year-old Neptune served under Wright on the Villanova coaching staff before accepting the head coaching position at Fordham in 2021. Neptune went 16-16 in his lone season at Fordham.

Ohtani rises to the occasion in Japan

Japanese star Shohei Ohtani showed off some prodigious power in his return to the Tokyo Dome on Saturday night. In an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants, the three-time MVP belted a two-run homer to right field in the third inning to give the Dodgers a 4-0 lead, setting off a roar from the roughly 42,000 fans in attendance. “He always seems to rise to certain occasions, expectation to put on a performance,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Once again, he delivered.” Ohtani led off the game with a walk and came to bat for a second time in the third inning. He didn’t get his best swing on the ball, but the 6-foot-4, 210-pound slugger was still able to launch a slider from Yomiuri’s Shosei Togo 391 feet, which was plenty of distance to get it over the fence. The 30-year-old is just 4 1/2 months removed from surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder but has recovered remarkably fast. His big swing at the Tokyo Dome is another sign that he’s feeling good heading into his eighth big league season, his second with the Dodgers.

Bell hungry for more in Las Vegas

Christopher Bell sometimes can’t believe seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson even knows Bell exists. And when Bell’s phone lights up with a new text message from the Hall of Famer, he can’t stop himself from freaking out a little bit. But the texts have come three weeks in a row now — after Bell victories at Atlanta, Circuit of the Americas in Texas and Phoenix — and Bell hopes Johnson hits that send button again Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Bell has the chance to become the first driver since Johnson in 2007 to win four consecutive Cup Series races — an accomplishment that only eight drivers have achieved in the modern era of NASCAR that began in 1972. He starts 13th on Sunday. “It is still the coolest thing in the world to me that I have Jimmie Johnson in my phone,” Bell said. “He has talked to me, he has sent me a text message after every win so far. I’m still shocked every time I see his name pop up. I respect the heck out of him. It’s an honor to know that he thinks of me after the race to send a text message. That is so cool.” —Associated Press