Nathan Mensah scored 17 points for No. 22 San Diego State, which raced past Boise State 72-52 in a showdown of the Mountain West Conference’s top two teams despite an off night by leading scorers Matt Bradley and Darrion Trammell. Keshad Johnson added 10 for SDSU, which regained sole possession of first place. 

Duke’s famously rowdy students have spent weeks camping out and getting ready for Saturday’s annual rivalry game with North Carolina. This one is the first since Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski retired. Yet “Krzyzewskiville” remained full in recent weeks. And everyone from successor Jon Scheyer to the “Cameron Crazies" remain determined to preserve the fearsome homecourt advantage that is part of Krzyzewski’s legacy. The Blue Devils won 88% of their home games in 42 seasons under Coach K. Scheyer says he wants Duke fans to feel that "they're right alongside us in this journey.”

LeBron James is soon going to be in the NBA record books as the most prolific scorer ever. But for all his accomplishments on the basketball court, it is James' ambitious pursuits off-the-court that may ultimately distinguish his legacy from other superstar athletes'. James co-founded an entertainment company, bought stakes in professional baseball and soccer franchises and, with help from product endorsements, his net worth is estimated to be above $1 billion. The off-court achievement James is most proud of is working to uplift the lives of people in his hometown of Akron. Many athletes have excelled in one or more of these areas. But few have done all of them as well as James.

Perennial powers frontloaded the final poll of the 2012-13 college basketball season. Flash forward 10 years and the AP Top 25 has a different look and feel. New programs have risen to the top tier. Upsets have turned up the madness in March even more. A few bluebloods have lost a bit of their shine.

Max Duggan and Tyson Bagent have turned the page on terrific seasons that ended badly with national championships in sight. TCU’s Duggan and the star Division II passer Bagent are trying to improve their NFL draft stock in a weeklong audition ending in Saturday’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Ukraine has stepped up efforts to lobby international sports leaders against Russian participation in next year’s Paris Olympics as indications mount that the games could see the biggest boycott since the Cold War. A meeting of the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee did not commit to a boycott of the Paris Games but approved plans to consult with and persuade sports officials around the world over the next two months. The International Olympic Committee is pushing to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics. They would take part without their national flags or anthems as “neutral athletes.”

At least eight Western state transportation agencies use various techniques to set off avalanches, aiming to keep motorists safe and protect roads from damage and lengthy closures.

Today is Friday, Feb. 3, the 34th day of 2023. There are 331 days left in the year.

Consider some gifts for kids that will keep on giving long after the blocks, action figures and game systems get relegated to the back of a closet or attic.

Q: I was going through my guy’s phone — it wasn’t like I was sneaking around; he knew. I found a folder with pictures of his ex, of them on trips with kids, on a cruise, and it made me uncomfortable. I asked him to delete them, and he refused. He said he doesn’t want to delete huge parts of his life and the kids may want the pictures someday. He didn’t think it was appropriate for me to even ask. I’m wondering what you think about this. Is this good ex-etiquette?

Eric Gaines scored 21 points and UAB ended No. 19 Florida Atlantic's nation-best 20-game winning streak with an 86-77 victory. The Owls hadn't lost since falling 80-67 to Mississippi on Nov. 11 and made their debut in the AP Top 25 2 1/2 weeks ago. FAU fell to 21-2 on the season and 10-1 in Conference USA. Jordan "Jelly" Walker had 13 points and six assists for UAB in his return from a foot injury that had sidelined him since Jan. 11. Nick Boyd led Florida Atlantic with 18 points.